Beyond the Shadow
by bandgeek18
Summary: AU. The only thing Roy wants is to leave his past behind him, but that might be harder than he thinks. Life is willing to throw him more curveballs than he thinks he can handle and nothing is as it seems. After everything, he's been through, Roy will have to keep struggling and fighting to get through.
1. Average Day

A/N: Well, here it is, the third story! This takes place halfway through the 5 year gap and Season 2, so there will be some time jumps throughout. WARNINGS: this story will have past child abuse, past sexual assault, human trafficking. Just as a reminder, Roy is not a clone in this universe. This first chapter is kind of short, but it picks up just a few days where the last story left off. Enjoy!

[September 2013]

The sun streaming through the window caused Roy's eyes to flutter open. He looked at his alarm clock, then sighed. 'It's already 8:30,' he told himself mentally. 'I need to get up.' A muscle in his shoulder twitched as he sat up. 'Probably from lack of activity.' It'd been three days since he'd been able to patrol because Roy wasn't exactly eager to expose his secret identity to some kid he'd found on the street. Even if that kid was exceptionally polite and quiet. Figuring it was probably a good idea to feed him breakfast, Roy got dressed in his usual work clothes, then, left his bedroom. He was wearing slacks, a white button-down shirt, and a red tie. Nothing fancy, but something that made him more of a professional. He knocked on the guest bedroom door. "Connor?" he asked. "You up?" After a moment of silence, he opened the door.

Connor was sitting on the floor, cross-legged, hands resent on his knees, eyes closed. They opened after a few seconds of Roy standing in the doorway. "Good morning, Raymond," he said politely.

"Morning. You know, I told you, you can call me Ray."

"Ray."

"You get up pretty early, you know. Especially for a 13-year-old."

"I'm…used to getting up early."

"Hmm." This kid was a real mystery. Three days of living with the teen hadn't given Roy any new information as to who he was, or why he was alone in Star. All he'd really learned was that Connor was an intensively private person who wasn't eagerly sharing his life story. "Come on, breakfast time."

"Are you working today?"

"I am." Roy led Connor into the kitchen and the teen sat down at the small table. "Do you have any plans for today?"

"Not really. I might read."

"Go right ahead. Feel free to read anything on my shelves." He popped some toast into the toaster for them. Another thing he'd learned about Connor, the kid was a vegetarian, so toast was the best option for him in the morning. "How did the new PJs work out?"

Conor glanced down at the pajamas Roy had gotten for him the day before. "They're nice. I-I told you though Ray, you didn't need to get me anything."

"I couldn't expect you to keep sleeping in the two pairs of clothes you have with you. I'm sure it's a lot more comfortable."

"They are, thanks. I-" Connor seemed to second guess whatever he was going to say because he turned away.

"I was thinking of having pasta for dinner tonight." Roy put jam on their toast, then poured Connor a glass of milk. "Sound good?"

"It's your house, Ray."

"Well, I want you to eat it." Roy set toast and milk down in front of Connor. "You haven't been eating a lot in the past few days."

"I'm just…distracted."

"Distracted?"

"Yeah." Connor started eating, effectively ending their conversation.

"Ok, well, I have to go to work. You know the rules. If you need me and it's an emergency, you know how to get to my office. Got it?"

"Yes, Ray."

"Good. I'll see you tonight." Roy grabbed a light jacket, his keys, and his phone as he left. When he left the apartment building, it was warm. Much warmer than it would've been in Gotham in late September. It was nice though. He much preferred warmth over cold. The walk to work was short, 15 minutes since his office was only five blocks from where he lived. Squeezed between a nail salon and pawnshop was a small, 4-story building. The words 'Raymond Wayne, Private Investigator' were printed in stickers on the door. Roy unlocked the door, then turned the lights on as he entered. The first floor had three rooms, including a bathroom. His office contained his desk, a couple of chairs in front of it, and coat hooks on a wall. Behind his desk was a door that led into the back room. It wasn't a lot, but looking around at it always gave him a sense of pride. Almost as soon as he sat down at his desk, the door opened.

"Are you open for business?" asked a man as he took a step in.

"Absolutely. Come on in." Roy stopped to shake the man's hand before he sat down. "What's your name?"

"Peter Black."

What can I do for you, Mr. Black?"

"My wife is missing."

"Have you contacted the police?"

"She wasn't taken. She left me. I just want to talk to her."

"Does she have any kind of restraining order against you?"

"No."

"Good." Roy pulled out an empty envelope, then a pad of paper. "Why don't you tell me everything you can about your wife?" As the man he talked, listening and writing down the information he was given. Eventually, the man stopped talking, but Roy kept writing. "The good news is, it seems like your wife might still be in Star somewhere."

"So you'll help me?"

"Absolutely." Roy scribbled some numbers down on a paper, then handed them to the man. "Here are my rates. I charge for every hour I spend working on the case."

"Sounds reasonable."

"Just fill out this form and sign it." The man did so, then signed the back. Roy looked it over. "Everything looks good. I'll get to work on it as soon as I can."

The man stood up and shook Roy's hand again. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Roy waited until the man left before he took a packet of stickers from a drawer and put a red circle on the file. "So far there are no reasons to suspect abuse, but you can never be too sure." Red stickers always went on the files of cases like these. A potential domestic abuser looking for a victim who'd left them. If his investigation turned up evidence to support abuse, Roy would make sure the wife was safe, then claim the case was unsolvable and collect his fee. (Whether or not the abuser would receive a visit from Red Arrow depended on the severity and if children were involved.) He wanted to make a living, but he wouldn't compromise the safety of abuse victims seeking help or escape to do it. He didn't really think this man was an abuser, but he always preferred to air on the side of caution.

— —

The day passed without incident. Roy picked up a couple more cases throughout the day. Most of them were spouses, both husbands, and wives, wanting him to find out if their significant others were cheating. (This always made his eyes roll.) And one couple who wants him to find out if their landlord was stealing from them. Overall, it was a significantly ordinary day, until the door opened right before he was supposed to close for the day.

"Are you still open?" asked the man.

"….I suppose I am," Roy replied, sitting back down. 'That's a Star City detective.' He recognized him from nights patrolling as Red Arrow. This should be interesting. "What can I do for you?"

"I want your opinion on a case." The police detective removed a case file from his bag, then handed it to the private detective across the desk.

"Should you be giving me this?"

"It's a cold case, hasn't been touched in years. Besides, it's my case so no one should be looking for it."

"You want an opinion on a cold case?"

"Yeah. It's… It's a missing person's case. You might be old enough to rememberer it. Its was pretty high profile."

"Who was the missing person?" Roy opened the file as he asked.

"Roy Harper."

The air was sucked out of Roy's lungs. Staring back at him was the picture from his social services file, his 6th-grade school picture. He clenched the hand on the desk into a fist to keep the detective from seeing the shaking. "I'm not familiar with the case."

"You're not?"

"No, I just moved to Star three years ago."

"Well, the short version of this story is, Roy was 14 when he went missing. He was Oliver Queen's ward and he just….disappeared from the Queen Mansion. Right from his bedroom. That's what Oliver Queen claimed at least."

"Claimed?"

The detective's face twisted a little. "I never believed his story about the break-in. Too many things didn't add up in my mind."

"Like what?"

"…I probably shouldn't say. Wouldn't want to bias you. Look, I want to hire you to figure out what happened."

"You want me to solve a cold case that's almost 8 years old?"

"You don't need to solve it. Just…go through the evidence in the file and tell me what you think happened to Roy." He took a small stack of cash out of his bag next and put it on the table. "Please."

Roy stared at the file for a few seconds, then sighed. "Ok. I'll take it."

"Thank you." He put a business card on top of the file. "So you can reach me. No pressure so please, take your time."

"I will." Roy stood up and shook the detective's hand. "Thank you, Mr.-"

"Detective Rodgerson."

"Detective Rodgerson. I'll call you when I have something."

"Thank you." Detective Rodgerson left and Roy locked the door as soon as he did.

"What the hell?" A small tremor was going through his hands. Roy walked back to his desk and leaned on it to stop the shaking. "The detective who worked on my case wants me to look over it?!" When he said the situation out loud, something flipped in his brain. As if he was just fully registering the situation. A hoarse laugh escaped his body. "Figures. This would happen three days after I was declared legally dead and I thought I could really move on." He shook his head. This was just his luck, wasn't it? He stood up straight and gathered up the file. "I'm assuming he thinks I'm dead. That's the only reason he'd be bringing it to a third party. Now that I'm really dead he wants some closure." Roy sighed as he shoved the file into his bag, along with the money the detective had paid him. "I could just tell him I didn't find anything. That Roy Harper is dead." That made his stomach twist around a bit. "That wouldn't be right though. This poor man was assigned to a bad case he never had a hope of solving." Roy's face scrunched in contemplation as he left his office and locked up. "What can I do though?"

It was times like these Roy really wished he could ask Bruce for advice. Not that he couldn't talk to him, but like Dick, things had been distant between them. Roy winced a little. 'I've haven't really spoken to him since- since Jason.' Besides, he was an adult, he could figure this out on his own. 'I don't want to just tell him I'm dead and send him on his way. But I can't tell him the truth either. Damn, this isn't easy, is it?' He'd never thought having a private detective business would bring him these kinds of moral quandaries.' Again, that just seemed like his luck at work. 'It's a good thing I have some time to figure it out. This is something that will require a lot of careful thought.'

When Roy got to his apartment, he walked in to find Connor meditating on the living room floor. 'Speaking of difficult cases…' He hung up his bag and coat. 'I think tonight it's time I get to the bottom of his situation.' He'd given the teen a few days to get used to him, but Roy knew he couldn't let Connor stay here indefinitely without knowing what had brought him to Star. "Hey, Connor," he said as he approached.

"Hi, Ray," Connor replied. He opened his eyes and looked up at Roy. "How was your day?"

"…Different. How was yours?"

Connor shrugged. "Like every other day, I suppose. I- I read a book from your shelf, I hope you don't mind."

"Of course not." Roy sat down on the couch. "Want to sit up here or…."

"I'm fine here."

"Ok." Roy ran his hands through his hair. "So, Connor, you've been here for a few days-"

"Do I have to leave?" A concerned look leaped to his face.

"No. That's not where I was going. I just thought it was time we talked about your…situation."

"My situation?" Connor turned so his whole body was facing Roy. "What do you mean?"

"You said you came here to find your dad, who you've never met, but you came here alone. You said you hitchhiked here… Where's your mom? Or, any other adults for that matter?" There was no reply as Connor looked at the ground. "I'm not going to judge you or get angry, Connor. I just need to know the truth."

"That is the truth. I- I need my dad. My mom….she's dead." His face fell in grief and he started wringing the edge of his shirt.

"I'm sorry, Connor."

"Thanks… I- just really need my dad. If I find him then…maybe my life could go back to normal, at least a little bit."

Roy frowned a bit. 'What does he mean? Why would this dad he's never met make his life normal again?' While he knew Connor was a pretty private kid, they couldn't stop with that. Maybe the place to start with this mysterious dad of Connor's. "You said you knew your dad's name?" When Connor hesitated, Roy pressed on. "I said I'd help you find him, remember? I can't do that if you don't give me the necessary information."

"Yeah. My mom- She told me who he was once…years ago…"

"Nothing else? No address, an occupation? The more details the better."

"Um… He's a businessman, or at least he was before he went missing. I think he was pretty famous around here actually."

"Really?"

"Yeah. You've probably heard of him."

Somewhere in the back of Roy's mind, there was a red flag waving. It brought a chill of anxiety up his spine. Unfortunately, it wasn't concrete enough for him to really grasp it. "Connor…who's your dad?"

Connor looked up at him. The boy's blonde hair was so short it barely shifted and his green eyes were innocent and calm. "Oliver Queen."


	2. Explanations

A/N: Here's the second chapter! Enjoy!

For the longest time, Roy didn't talk. He didn't talk, he didn't move, he didn't even breathe. He sat as still as a statue with Connor's words echoing in his head.

Connor stared up at him in concern. "Ray?" he asked eventually. "Are you ok?" He waited for a beat. "Ray-"

"Prove it…" Roy replied, his voice shaking.

"What?"

"You- You said you're- That your father is…." Roy shoved himself to his feet and stared down at Connor. "Prove it. Prove you're his son."

"I- I don't know how I would… I just know what my mom told me."

"No…" Roy shook his head as he started pacing. "No, no, no! This can't be happening. This-" His breathing started getting faster. Absentmindedly, he found his way behind the couch and gripped the back. "Explain!"

"Explain?"

Roy took a deep breath. Then another. And a third. "Explain from the beginning. Tell me everything."

"Ok… Um, my mom told me that she slept with Oliver Queen. She got pregnant and decided she didn't want him raising a kid, so she left. She told me right before I entered the Buddhist monastery. A couple of months ago, she- died in an accident. The social services people, they wouldn't let me stay at the monastery, so I had to go live in a foster home. I- I thought if I came here and found Oliver then he could take me in and send me back to the monastery."

'Why, out of all the people in the world, did I have to be in the same room as him-' Roy looked up and the look on Connor's face made him stop. The teen had a look of confusion and fear on his face. It sent a bolt of guilt through Roy. 'I need to calm down.' He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. 'Why is Connor being here so bad? He's Oliver's son.' Except Connor didn't choose to be related to Oliver Queen. No one got to pick who they were related to by blood. 'Oliver isn't here. He's in the Green Lantern prison. He has been for years. I'm safe. Connor shouldn't be making me this nervous.' Roy opened his eyes, then walked back around the couch. Connor was still looking at him with caution. 'Can't blame him,' Roy thought guiltily. 'If he's telling the truth— and I have no reason to believe he isn't— he's lost his only parent and been taken away from a community where he felt safe.'

"Did- Did I do something wrong?" Connor asked quietly.

"No, you didn't. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have freaked out like that."

"Why did you?" Connor waited patiently, watching as the hesitation crossed Roy's face. "Did you know my father?"

Roy flinched involuntarily. "Connor- What do you know about Oliver Queen?"

"Just that he's my father. He was a rich businessman, and he's missing now."

"You don't know anything else?"

"No."

Roy sighed and, for the second time that day, the thought of consulting Bruce for help crossed his mind, but he quickly dismissed it again. Knowing Bruce, just mentioning that Connor was Oliver's son would bring the wrath of the Bat down on this poor boy. 'How much do I tell him then?' Roy wondered. 'I barely know this kid, but I don't think I can get around this without a full explanation.' He sighed and rubbed his hands on his jeans. "Ok, Connor. There's… There's so much I have to tell you about your father."

"So you did know him?"

"Yes. Very well. First thing you should know…is my name isn't Raymond."

"It's not?" Connor frowned pulled in confusion and his muscles tensed. He almost seemed to be leaning back, like he was getting ready to bolt from the apartment.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you. Raymond is just a fake identity."

"Why do you have a fake identity?"

"…Because my real name is Roy Harper."

"Roy Harper?" Connor's brow furrowed into even deeper confusion. "I'm sorry, I don't know that name."

"You might be the only one. I was Oliver's ward for two years. He took me in when I was 12 and I…stopped being his ward when 14."

"Why?"

"Because he was abusing me."

"He abused you?"

"Yes."

Connor blinked a few times. "Did you run away or were you…removed from him?"

"….Kind of both." Roy sighed again and resisted the urge to run his hands through his hair. "I- I was rescued by Batman and Robin." Connor just stared at him in silent shock. "Because Oliver was the Green Arrow."

"No."

"Yes."

"No! You're- You're lying, you have to be!" Connor jumped to his feet and glared at Roy.

"I'm not lying-"

"No! You have to be lying! Green Arrow- He was a serial killer! He murdered so many people! He-"

"I know this is shocking-"

"It's a lie! I'm not related to someone that horrible!" Connor's eyes widened even more as if something else had just occurred to him. His hands flew to his mouth. "My mom. No, my mom would've never had any kind of relationship with someone like that!"

"Connor-" Roy reached out but Connor practically slapped his hands away.

"You're lying." He glared at Roy, his voice so raw it was on the verge of tears. "You lied about who you are, of course, you're lying about this!"

"I'm not lying." Roy stood up, holding his hands out in a palliating gesture. "I didn't intend to lie to you, but I have to-"

"Stop. Please, just stop." Connor shook his head almost desperately, then ran from the room. He was so fast he slipped past Roy and into the spare bedroom before the man could react.

Roy sighed as the door shut. 'At least he didn't leave.' For a few seconds, there was nothing but silence. It felt like every nerve in Roy's body was frayed. A tremor started shaking his hands and his heart was once again speeding up in his chest. Jitteriness plagued him. Anxiety was pushing his muscles to move. The desire to patrol was buzzing on his muscles, and he was even standing and turned toward the door when he remembered Connor. 'Right,' he thought. 'Can't patrol with Connor here.' So, he went to the kitchen instead and started dinner. As he pulled out pans for shrimp and noodles (tofu and noodles for Connor) he kept going over the situation in his head, using the movement of cooking to help him think. Oliver Queen's son was in his apartment. The son of Oliver Queen, the man who'd made Roy's life a living hell for years, was staying in his guest bedroom.

'If he is Oliver's son,' a voice in his head said. 'He could be lying.'

'Why would he be lying?! We've just met!' Roy dumped the frozen shrimp onto a pan to fry it, along with the tofu on another pan. 'Plus…his eyes are green. And he has blonde hair. And that smile…' Connor's smile appeared in his mind and a shiver ran down his spine. 'He's definitely Ollie's son. And I believe his story about never knowing Oliver. He has no reason to lie and his reaction… That's not the reaction of someone who already knew what a terrible person Oliver was.' A sickening feeling suddenly hit his gut. 'If Ollie had known about Connor….he wouldn't have needed me.' While he didn't really know this kid, the thought of Ollie hurting and manipulating his own son like he'd done to Roy was nauseating. 'No kid deserves that.' Roy focused on his cooking for a few moments. 'I can't tell Bruce.'

That felt incredibly obvious. While he loved Bruce, Roy knew that the man wouldn't take Connor's presence well.

'Besides, I don't need Bruce's help,' he thought as he stirred the pot of noodles. 'I'll just tell Connor that Oliver is gone and send him home. As long as that home isn't abusive. If it is, I'll call CPS and let them handle it.' He nodded to himself. It really felt like the only thing he could do. Roy kept telling himself that as he finished dinner, then put the food on plates, and carried them to Connor's room. "Connor," he said, using his foot to knock on the door gently. "Connor? Dinner." There was no reply, so he carefully balanced one of the hot plates on his arm to open the door. When he walked in he found Connor sitting on the floor at the foot of the bed. "Hungry?" Connor merely shook his head. "Well, can you try?" Roy set the plates down, then sat down across from Connor on the floor. It was silent between them for several minutes as they ate. With the tension building though, Roy eventually had to stop and set his fork down. "You can't stay silent forever."

Connor stared at his plate, cutting the pieces of tofu into even smaller pieces with his fork. "I- I don't know what to say…"

"I know what I told you isn't what you were expecting to hear…but it's the truth." That got a head shake from the teen. "It is. I wouldn't lie about something like this-"

"Just about who you are." Connor set his plate down and looked at Roy. He held the man's gaze calmly, but it was easy to see that calm was barely being held. "Tell me the truth. The whole truth."

"I have." Roy waited, but Connor still held his gaze.

"I told you the truth."

"Ok, ok. Oliver was the Green Arrow. When I was 12 I met him and he took me in after my adopted dad died. He wanted me to be Speedy and I agreed. What I didn't know though, was that Green Arrow killed criminals. When he wanted me to kill, though, I refused. So he kept manipulating and abusing me to get me to do what he wanted. As you can imagine Oliver had anger issues so the abuse was…bad." There was a movement that might've been flinching, but it was so sudden and Connor went back to being so still that Roy wasn't sure that it happened. "After two years, Oliver forced me to kill someone, then Batman and Robin saved me. I trained under Batman for a while and worked as a vigilante in Gotham." While working through PTSD that he was still working through, 7 years after the fact. "Three years ago, Oliver tried to take down the Justice League by breaking into their headquarters, so he was imprisoned by the Green Lanterns." Connor stared at him for a moment. "I swear that's the whole truth."

"….I believe you…" Connor looked at the carpet, absentmindedly rubbing the bottom of his big toes. "So…my father is gone?"

"Yes, he is."

"….What happens now?"

Roy sighed as he picked up his plate again. "Now I send you back. I don't know what you told your guardians-"

"Nothing."

The response made Roy freeze with his fork halfway to his mouth. He stared at Connor without moving for several seconds. "What'd you mean nothing?"

Connor shrugged. "I left tor school and instead of going, I started hitchhiking to Star."

"You're a missing person?!"

"Yes?"

Roy set his plate down. "Please tell me you're joking."

"I'm not?"

"Oh, no…" Roy moved his hands to press them against his face.

"What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?!" Roy looked at him. "Connor, you're 13 and a missing person! There are people in San Fransisco looking for you! Your foster parents are probably worried!"

Connor looked at the ground. "….I- I just wanted to find him."

"Why?! Why did you want to find Oliver so bad when you'd never met him?!"

"Because I want my life back! I- I want to go back to the monastery! I thought if I could find Oliver, I could convince him to take guardianship of me, then he could send me back. I- I lost my mom and then they took me out of the monastery…" Connor's voice started to waiver, heavy with unshed tears. "Everything was changing and I just want something to go back to normal…"

Roy felt the anger quickly drain and was replaced by guilt. "I understand that. I really do get it."

"But I guess I can't now… If- If Oliver is gone and…he probably wouldn't have taken me in any way."

'He would've,' Roy thought with a wince. He picked his plate up again so he could avoid looking at Connor. 'If you'd shown up at his door, looking for shelter and needing help…' The thought made it difficult to swallow his food. 'He would've jumped at the opportunity. You would've been the next pawn in his game.' It felt like a terrible thought, but Roy was glad Connor never met his father. He knew the teen wouldn't fully understand how lucky it actually was.

"Why did you stop?" Connor asked suddenly. He slowly ate a few small pieces of tofu.

"What do you mean? Stop what?"

"Stop being a vigilante?"

Roy looked at his plate and pushed a piece of shrimp around. He could feel Connor looking at him. "I…uh…didn't."

"You…didn't?" Connor stared at him for a few seconds before his eyes widened. "You're Red Arrow!"

"Shh! Not so loud, huh But yeah…I am." Roy focused on his food as Connor continued to stare at him. "Please stop."

"Teach me…"

Roy frowned and looked at the teen. "Teach you what?"

"To be a vigilante!"

"You want to be a vigilante?"

"Yes!"

"No."

"Why not?!"

Roy flinched as Jason's face flashed in his mind. "Just because. You're what….12?"

"13."

"Thir- No, no way."

"Why?!"

"Connor, you're; 13. You're a kid."

"You started when you were 12."

"And I was tricked and manipulated into it. Weren't you paying attention to the story?"

"But I can already shoot and I know how to fight-"

"I don't care. Kids doing hero work is dangerous."

"…But, you can't just tell me all this and just send me back!"

"I can and I will."

"I could tell-"

"I'll deny it. I'm very good at denial. It's kind of a required qualification."

"I want to though! And…I'll listen to everything you say."

"Connor, it's not that simple."

"Why not?!"

Roy sighed and set his plate down again. "Are you done eating?"

"Don't change the subject."

"I"m not. Are you done?"

"I- yes?"

"Ok." Roy picked up both the plates, then stood. "Come on."

"Where are we going?" Connor followed Roy out of the room. He hung around in the doorway as Roy put the plates in the sink. "Ray?"

"It's Roy. Grab a sweater and put your shoes on."

Connor frowned as he grabbed his sweater from the guest room and quickly put his shoes on. 'Where is he taking me?' It occurred to the teen that Ray- Roy might be taking him to the police. The thought made him freeze. 'I'm not letting him turn me in, but could I really just stay here and refuse to leave?'

As Roy grabbed his keys, he looked back and saw Connor hanging back in the doorway. "What's wrong?"

"….Are you turning me in?"

"No. We're not going to the police." Yet. "You want to know why I won't train you, I'll tell you, but not here. My apartment isn't… There are just some things we shouldn't discuss here."

"Ok." Connor tore himself away from the doorway and followed Roy out of the apartment. He was still tense as they left the apartment building. The nauseating feeling that had taken over this gut when he learned about his father as still there. Goosebumps broke out over his skin again. 'Did she know?' he wondered as he followed Roy down the dark street. 'Did Mom know what he was really like?' Part of him wanted to deny it. His mother had been a wonderful woman and she never would've slept with Oliver Queen if she'd known what kind of monster he was. 'But she also never told him she was pregnant. And never told anyone I was his son. Could she have known at least on some level?' That felt like the most likely. His mother had been a smart woman. She could've been a little aware of who Oliver really was and not wanted Connor to have anything to do with him. A shiver went through his body. 'I can't believe I'm related to a monster like that…'

The silence from Connor had Roy a little concerned, but he was also grateful. The last thing he needed was to try and keep the teen from asking him questions about his vigilante identity while they were out in public. He led Connor down a side street, then in to the back alley that separated the building where his private detective business was located, and the building behind it. They slipped between a loose fence post to get onto the property.

"What're we doing here?" Connor asked as they walked across the small yard that was composed solely of dead grass and dirt.

"You'll see." Roy unlocked the back door and let Connor go in first, then relocked the door and followed.

The door closing made Connor jump a little. He waited for a second, then Roy turned the light on. The frown on his face deepened. They were in a room with file cabinets against two walls that were across the room from each other. On his left, the file cabinets were broken only by a door. "What is this place?"

"This is my office." Roy went over to the door and opened it.

As he peered around him, Connor saw a staircase ascending into darkness. "What-"

"Just watch." Roy approached the stairs and knelt down. He pried up the first stair, then raced under and undid a latch hidden on the underside. The first five stairs swung down, revealing another staircase underneath, this one going down. He looked back at Connor and smiled at the shocked look on his face. "It's safe, I promise."

Connor approached slowly and peered down at the stairs. "You sure?"

"Absolutely."

"…Ok."

Once Connor started down the stars, Roy followed, taking the time to re-latch the stairs and use a handle he'd put on the underside of the loose board. He then followed the teen down the stairs. There was a landing, which had another staircase going down. Despite how dark it was, he could tell when Connor had reached the bottom when the teen gasped.

In front of him was a large concrete room that looked like it was the size of the property. Across from him were two tables with some computer monitors set up. Next to it was three workbenches set up in a U shape littered with metal pieces and tools. Beyond that was a bunch of mats laid out on the floor. Connor walked in farther and saw that the other half was set up into an archery range. He turned around slowly and saw the wall where the staircase ended there was a display case with Red Arrow's suit. Next to it were several racks of arrows and three bows on racks. "This is yours?"

"It's my arrow cave."

"Did you build it?"

Roy smiled. "I wish. I spent weeks studying old city maps before I finally found this. It's an old fallout shelter from the cold war. It's not on any modern maps of the city, so it's essentially invisible. And I own the whole property so there's no reason for anyone to come digging."

Connor spotted a motorcycle at the far end of the archery range, near an opening in the corner of the room. "Is that an exit?"

"Yeah. I think it was meant to be some kind of emergency exit or something. If you follow it, it actually leads to an old sewer that isn't used by the city anymore and you can get out through a drainage pipe a few blocks away."

"Aren't you worried someone will go exploring?"

"Already ahead of you. I put up a bunch of caution and danger signs. If they get past this, I have sensors and cameras that will let me see when someone is coming. I built a door that looks like an old access door, so no one would be able to get in."

"Huh." Connor turned in a circle to take a good look around again, then turned back to Roy. "Now will you tell me why you won't let me be a vigilante?"

Roy's face fell and he sighed. "Because of Robin."

"Robin the Boy Wonder?"

"Yeah. The Robin who rescued me was the first one. Another boy took the Robin mantle after him and he- he died."

"….How?"

"He was murdered by the Joker." A chill settled into the room.

"How- How old was he?"

"14." Roy saw a flicker of fear on Connor's face. "See? That's why I won't let you become a vigilante. It's dangerous, especially for someone who doesn't have any superpowers."

"I know it'd be dangerous."

"You say that now-"

"I know it's dangerous, but…I have to."

"Why do you have to do this thing you've known about for an hour?!"

"Because…." Connor hesitated. 'Would he understand? He has to…'

"Connor."

"…Because I have to- to do something."

Roy sighed. "I'm sorry, but the answer is no."

"But-"

"No, Connor. Now come on, I need to get you home so you can go to bed."

Connor's face fell. "Please, Ray-"

"It's Roy, and no. Letting teenagers fight crime is irresponsible and I won't be a part of that." Roy stood up and gestured for Connor to follow him. "Come on." There was no reply, but Connor did follow him, so Roy didn't think about it too much. 'He just doesn't understand how dangerous this really is. He really doesn't understand. I'm doing this to protect him.' Even if he was Oliver's son, Roy knew he wouldn't want to endanger a young, innocent teen like that.

— —

When they got back to Roy's apartment, he sighed and stretched. 'How is it so late already?' he thought when his eye caught a clock.

"Are you going out tonight?" Connor asked quietly as he hovered around the door to the guest room.

"Probably not. It's been a…long night."

"Oh. Ok." Connor turned to go into the room, then he stopped and turned back. "Can you not send me back until Monday?"

"Monday?" Roy frowned as he did some quick math. "Connor, that's 5 days away."

"I know but, I kind of like it here and I don't really want to leave."

Roy sighed and rubbed his eyes. 'I need to send him home. He's a minor and a missing person. His poor foster parents are probably worried sick.' However, he made the mistake of looking at Connor, and some of his resolve melted at the kid's innocent face. "Fine. You can stay until Monday, but that afternoon I'm taking you to the police station. Understand?"

"Absolutely. Thanks, Ra- Roy." He went into the bedroom and shut the door. "You won't regret it."


	3. Stalking

A/N: Here's the third chapter! Let me know what you think!

The following night, Red Arrow left his temporary charge by himself and went on patrol. Once he was driving through the streets on his bike, he felt freer. Just putting on his mask and quiver gave him a feeling of calm he'd desperately needed. 'It feels like my life has changed completely in the past 24 hours,' he thought as he drove.

When he got the neighborhood he wanted to patrol in, he left his bike and took to the rooftops. Above the city, all his problems seemed smaller, or at least more manageable. He came across a group of teenagers chasing another one after a few blocks. Red Arrow shot a grappling arrow downward at an angle so he could slide down on his bow. When he was ten feet from the ground, he dropped to ground, somersaulted to break his fall, then kept running. He shot a glue arrow in the path of the teenagers. The ones in the back of the group managed to stop in time to not fall in, but the ones in front soon found themselves trapped in the sticky substance. Those in the back turned around, but Red Arrow was ready and shot another glue arrow to trap them. He came to a stop as he caught up with them. "What are you doing?" he asked them with his arms crossed.

"Us?!" one of the teens demanded. "You're the psycho who trapped us with…glue or paste!"

"Yeah, what the hell, man?!" a second teen added.

"You guys are the ones chasing someone at almost 11 pm. City curfew is 10:30."

"So?"

"So, by being out past curfew you're breaking the law. I could turn you over to the police." There was a chorus of complaints from the teenagers. "I don't want to hear it! All of you go home, or I will hand you to the cops." He waited and stared at them. Eventually, there was nodding accompanied by grumbling from the trapped teens. "Ok. Hang on a sec and I'll free you." He took a vial from one of the pouches on his seat and poured water on the glue around where the teens were. It softened enough after 30 seconds that they were able to pull themselves out of the glue and walk away. Red Arrow waited for them to disappear, then followed at least a block behind to make sure they actually went home. Once he confirmed they had, he went back to his patrol.

It was quiet for another hour until he saw someone climbing on the fire escape of a building. 'It's almost 1 in the morning, this looks suspicious,' he thought as he made his way to that building. When he dropped down onto the level above his suspect, the man jumped. "Hi," Red Arrow greeted. "Great morning, huh?" The man moved and there was something in his hand pointed straight at the archer. Red Arrow threw himself to the side of the fire escape. He caught himself with one hand and swung onto the same level as his opponent. The man tried to punch him, but Red Arrow simply ducked and punched the man's stomach at the same moment. The man fell back onto his butt and Red Arrow kicked the gun away. "I just wanted to talk."

"Leave me alone, Archer. I haven't done anything," the man said, his voice quivering a little bit.

"In my experience, people who point weapons at me are up to something." Red Arrow reached forward, but the man flinched back so violently that he almost fell off the fire escape. "Whoa, careful!"

"I haven't done nothin'! I was tryin' to break in but you came and- I swear I didn't do anything though!"

"Buddy-" Red Arrow reached out again, but the man tried to dive off the fire escape again, prompting the vigilante to grab his shirt and pull him back from the edge.

"Don't kill me! Please, don't kill me!"

A sick feeling settled in Red Arrow's stomach and he released the man as soon as he was standing. "Relax-"

"Relax?! No way, I know how vigilantes work!"

"I'm not going to kill you!" Red Arrow sighed and gave the man a quick once over. He didn't appear to have anything on him except an obviously empty drawstring bag. "Go."

"Go?"

"Yes, go, but I don't want to catch you out here robbing places again." Instead of responding, the man practically ran down the fire escape. Red Arrow watched him go with a bit of a heavy heart. Three years of being the sole vigilant in Star and he still ran into this. People who thought he operated like Green Arrow and would kill them when he caught them. 'It'll take time,' he thought as he started climbing back toward the roof, repeating his mantra for the past three years. 'It'll take time for the people to trust me.' At least…he hoped it would. Part of him was afraid the people of Star would never trust him to protect them instead of terrorizing them. When he got to the roof, Red Arrow froze. 'Is someone following me?' He spun around, but there was no one there. 'I must be imagining things.' He shook it off, then continued on his patrol.

A few blocks away, he found another person trying to steal a car. One arrow through the open doors shocked the hands of the potential thief off the steering wheel. Red Arrow approached the car with an arrow pointing at it, but a gunshot rang out down the street. Something metal clanged! behind Red Arrow and made him jump. He looked around and saw two police officers running toward him. In the hard streetlights, he could see their guns pointed at him. Without thinking twice, Red Arrow shot a smoke bomb arrow at the ground and ran. He sprinted down an alley to the closest fire escape and climbed. By the time he was safely on the roof of the building, the smoke from the arrow had dissipated. He crouched down low, almost laying on his stomach, and watched the street below.

One of the cops approached the car, now devoid of the thief, and the other approached the alley Red Arrow had disappeared into; his gun still raised. Above his head, the vigilante's attention was on the cop alone. Red Arrow barely dared to move as the officer investigated the alley. When the officer apparently decided the alley was empty, he put his gun away and rejoined his partner on the street. They conversed for a minute, though Red Arrow couldn't hear what was being said before they left the way they'd come. Red Arrow waited a full three minutes before he moved. He stood with a sigh of disappointment. 'It's been three years, you'd think they could at least stop shooting at me,' he thought. Granted, he'd known from the beginning the police in Star wouldn't be quick to trust him. But he also hadn't expected to still be dodging bullets three years in.

'Healing is a long process,' Red Arrow reminded himself as he ran across the rooftops. 'I wasn't the only one traumatized by Oliver.' Since he had no desire to have another run-in with the police, he moved on to another neighborhood.

Unknown to him, however, there was a figure watching him. The figure crouched down on his own rooftop, eyes following Red Arrow as he disappeared into the night. He gripped the bow he'd "borrowed", then followed at a slower pace. 'Everything's going according to plan,' Connor thought as he threw himself to the next rooftop. His landing was rough and he scraped his outstretched hands and sent waves of pain from his knees up and down his legs. He didn't want Red Arrow to get too far away though, so he scramble dot his feet and followed. It was dead silent as he jogged to close the gap between himself and the vigilante down to something more sensible. 'Hopefully, after tonight I'll have a good enough idea of how to fight crime the way Roy does it.' Considering the fact he only had a few days to enact his plan, he needed to get a handle on the vigilante thing as soon as possible.

By the time he found Red Arrow again, the vigilante was grappling with a group of three men. Connor crouched down on the edge of a rooftop to watch. His heart jumped into his throat every time one of the men's makeshift weapon's got near Red Arrow, but the vigilante was good. Really good. A wrench was swung at his face, but he backflipped to avoid it. When he was in mid-air, he shot an arrow and hit the guy in the hand. The arrow zapped the guy and shocked him into dropping his weapon. Red Arrow didn't have time to dwell however, because the second man swung a broken pipe. Red Arrow spun around and caught the weapon before it could hit him. He jerked the man's arm forward and kick him in the chest at the same moment. The effective movement disarmed the man, then sent him sprawling to the ground. At this point, Red Arrow turned to the third man, who was unarmed, but he simply abandoned his friends and ran off. Without moving an inch, Red Arrow shot an arrow and a wire wrapped itself around the escaping man's ankles.

'He's so…good,' Connor thought as he watched Red Arrow secure the remaining men to leave them for the police. 'How did he get that good? Was it Batman or…?' His stomach churned at the thought of Green Arrow, as it had every time he thought about his father since the previous night. 'I hope it was Batman.' The teen was so lost in thought, that he didn't realize Red Arrow had finished restraining the men and was now standing perfectly still in the alley. Connor's attention latched onto the movement, then he shoved himself away from the edge of the rooftop. His heart pounded in his chest as he pressed himself down on the rooftop. He barely even dared to breathe as he waited for Red Arrow to scale onto the roof and find him. It didn't happen though. 'Did he not see me?' After a full thirty seconds, he crawled over to the edge of the building and looked.

Red Arrow heading through the alley to the opposite street and Connor let out a sigh of relief. 'Thank goodness,' he thought. 'I need to be more careful than that. I don't want him to catch me.' He continued to follow Red Arrow around all night, watching him take down bad guys and taking mental notes of his style and actions. 'He can use his bow in close combat and as a long-distance weapon,' Connor thought as he watched Red Arrow save someone from getting murdered. 'He never uses more force than absolutely necessary. I wonder if that's on purpose. It feels like it is.' At one point he looked around and realized he could easily recognize the area of the city he was in. 'He must be heading home. I should too.' Once he followed Red Arrow back to his HQ, Connor was able to find his way back to the apartment. 'This is going to work,' he thought with a smile when he slipped into the guest room through the window. 'This will definitely work.'

— —

The following night, Red Arrow wasn't as focused on catching criminals as he was on tailing the Star City police. Specifically, detective Micheal Rodgerson. The man was talking to witnesses at a homicide crime scene, with Red Arrow perched above him on the edge of a rooftop. The archer didn't particularly know why he was following the detective, but it was more effective than deciding how to lie to the man.

'I can't tell him the truth,' Red Arrow thought. 'But…I don't know if I wan to confirm his fears either. The case clearly haunts him and I can see why. As far as he's concerned, a billionaire got away with murdering a 14-year-old kid.' The thought sent a shiver down his spine. 'This isn't exactly the kind of issues I thought I'd be dealing with when I came back to Star.' The detective left the alley and headed back to his police car. Red Arrow grabbed his bow so he could follow.

Meanwhile, several blocks away, Connor was trying to figure out which key unlocked the backdoor to Roy's office. Part of him felt bad about stealing, but he was going to return them, so it probably wasn't stealing per se. "Come on… Come on…" he muttered as he tried the third one. "I don't have a lot of time. I need to get some stuff, then head out.' And somehow make it back to the apartment before Roy got home. He finally got the door unlocked, then slipped inside. Thankfully, it wasn't difficult for him to find the secret passage under the stairs, then get into Roy's "arrow cave".

When he got downstairs, he immediately got a quiver and filled it with arrows. He tried to avoid any that looked like they had specialized arrowheads because he didn't know what they did and didn't want to misuse one. Once he had the quiver on his back, he grabbed a bow. Connor nodded to himself, tying his make-shift mask on. "Ok. Let's do this." He left the Arrow Cave through Roy's secret exit, then quickly took to the streets. He stuck to the shadows as much as possible, thinking this is where vigilante's belonged. 'It seems like Roy just wanders around and looked for crime,' he thought as he moved from an alley to a side street. 'So that's probably what I should do.' Somewhere in the back of his mind, Connor could hear his mother scolding him for doing something so dangerous. It sent a bolt of hard grief through his body. He inhaled a shaking breath, then tried to steel himself. 'I'm sorry, Mom. But this something I just have to do.' Despite the raw grief that could still wrack him, new emotions about his mother had joined the grief. Chief among them was confusion and anger. Confusion over why she would've had a relationship with someone like Oliver Queen; and anger for everything else.

A scream knocked Connor back to reality. He looked up and saw a young boy running down the street being chased by a group of teenagers. After a second of hesitation, Connor jumped into action. He sprinted after them. "H-Hey!" he shouted at the teens, trying to sound intimidating. "Stop!" They didn't. Connor huffed and ran faster. He remembered the bow in his hand, then tried to pull an arrow from his quiver. Unfortunately, pulling out an arrow while running wasn't as easy as pulling one out while stationary. When he finally managed it though, nocking the arrow while in motion was twice as hard. He couldn't get the arrow on the bowstring properly. The end of the arrow and the bow kept moving as he ran. When he finally did, he had to stop to even aim it. The arrow missed the place where he was aiming for and nearly hit one of the teens in the back. It scraped the guy's side and he yelped in pain.

"What the-" he turned around and laughed. "Hey guys, check it out." His friends stopped and looked back at Connor. "It's a Green Arrow Wannabe."

"L-Leave that kid alone!" Connor yelled, deepening his voice.

"Or what?! What exactly do you think you can do?"

"…I- I'll stop you!" Connor tried not to take a step back as the teens advanced on him, or check to see that the mask he'd made was still tied around his face. 'I can take them. I can do this.' He took a deep breath, then reached for another arrow. Unfortunately, one of the teens ran froward suddenly and he had to abandon that for dodging him. He reacted instinctively and dropped the bow so he could grab his opponent's arm. The teen was unprepared when Connor grabbed his arm, then slammed him into the ground. He let go, then stopped a punch from another teen and flipped him over his shoulder. 'They're easily twice my size,' he thought as ducked under another punch, then landed a solid kick to the teen's knee to send him to the ground. Something hit him from behind and Connor stumbled. He tried to turn in the same moment, but a hand snagged the bag of his sweater. He threw his elbow back and hit his opponent in the face, then ducked down and threw him over his body. "I told you to leave the boy alone. Now get out of here!"

The teens didn't leave though. They got up and charged Connor as a group. He held his ground and ducked under their hands. He swept their legs out from under two of them, then kicked another in the face. "You can't beat me," Connor warned them as he caught another fist that came toward him and twisted the arm to send the teen to his knees. "Leave!" When he let go they finally gave up. He watched them go with a deep sense of satisfaction and a slow smile spread over his lips. 'I did it!' he thought. 'I was able to fight them off! If I keep this up, Roy will have to let me stay!' Emboldened by his win, Connor picked up his bow, then continued on his solo patrol.

It didn't take long before he came across more trouble. He was wandering across a side street when someone ran into him. Connor took a step back, but couldn't catch himself in time. He fell to the ground with the person on top of him. "What-" he began, but the woman cut him off as she quickly stood.

"Help!" she cried. "Someone took my bag! I have something important in there!"

"I'll get it back for you! Which way did he go?"

"That way!" She pointed down an even narrower and darker side street.

Fear crept up Connor's insides, but he ignored it to creep toward the street. "Stay back, I'll handle this." He pulled an arrow from his quiver, then stopped for a moment to nock it to the bow. 'Ok, I can do this. I can do this.' He poked his head into the street. There was a figure huddled over something near the middle, outside an abounded storefront. Connor walked closer as silent as he could. He raised his bow and pointed the arrow at the figure. 'Hey!" he shouted. "What're you doing?!" The figure moved like he was standing up, then Connor's stomach jumped into his mouth when a gunshot rang out. He threw himself to the ground. For a second the only sound Connor could hear was his rapid heartbeat jackhammering against his chest. He swallowed and pushed himself to his feet with shaking arms, only to drop back to the ground when another gunshot rang out.

"Did she really send me some kind of Green Arrow Jr.?" the figure asked as he approached Connor.

"Wha-" Connor had to roll to the side when the man shot at him again. He wasn't fast enough though, and burning pain ripped down his side. "Ah!" Connor put his hand to his side and felt warm blood trickling past his fingertips. He rolled again to avoid being shot and quickly took cover between an old newspaper box and a closed store. 'I lost my bow,' he thought as he looked at the bow laying on the street a few feet away.

"Come out, kid," a voice said and Connor's eyes widened. It was the woman who'd fallen on him. "The longer you drag this out the worse it will be."

"Yeah!" the man agreed. There was another gunshot and Connor's whole skeleton jumped.

'I have to move!' Connor took a deep breath, then threw himself forward to grab his bow. A hand grabbed his arm, so he twisted around and whacked it with the bow. The hand retracted and the woman shouted. Connor scrambled to his feet and pulled out an arrow. 'I have to get out of here!' He thew himself into a deep shadow and took a deep breath in an attempt to calm his frayed nerves. 'I don't know what they're doing, but I still want to stop them.' Despite his extensive knowledge of calming techniques, it was hard to think when in so much pain and shaken so badly. 'Remember: I have to be a vigilante. I have to.' Connor swallowed and nocked the arrow to his bowstring. He stepped out from his hiding spot, then shot it the man. It scraped his arm and the man yelped. Connor darted to the man and swung the bow to hit him in the head. The man stumbled and fell to the ground. "Get out of here!" The man ran off with the woman right on his heels.

Connor watched them with a bit of relief. He took a few steps to leave the street himself and grimaced when pain shot through his body. "What-" His hand flicked down to his side. Warm blood seeped through his fingers. 'Right. I got scraped by a bullet. I need to get back to Roy's apartment.' Each step Connor took sent waves of pain throughout his body. It hurt way more than bruises and sore muscles from normal sparring. 'It wasn't like the monks encouraged us to try to hurt each other.' He stumbled but kept going. 'I need to make I make it back.' If Roy found him passed out on the street somewhere, he'd never let Connor stay. 'I can't prove I'll be a good vigilante if I can't survive one fight.'

Thankfully, through some stroke of good luck, Connor made it back to Roy's "arrow cave" to put back the equipment he'd…borrowed. After he put the quiver and bow back, he noticed an area with medical supplies. 'Perfect,' he thought with a smile as he limped over. This area contained a cot, cabinet, and a sink. Inside ether cabinet, Connor gathered some gaze and bandages, then sat on the cot. When he pulled up his shirt, he was able to get a look at the cut on his side. "Not deep…" he murmured. "Good…" He held some gauze against the cut, then waited for the bleeding to slow down. As he sat, some of the words he'd heard that night came back to him.

Green Arrow-wannabe.

Green Arrow Jr.

It sent fear and anger through his body. His stomach rolled and his hands started shaking a little bit. 'No…' he thought. 'No. I'm not like him. I won't be like him!' The resolve pushed him to bandage his cut and dispose of the evidence he'd been there. "I just need to sleep," he muttered as he moved carefully; mindful not to disturb his bandages. As he shuffled back to Roy's apartment, Connor could practically her this mother scolding him for getting hurt like this. He scoffed. 'Honestly, after all, she hid from me, she wouldn't have the grounds for judging.' His eyes started to burn and Connor shook his head. He wiped the tears that started to form in his eyes.

When he got back, Connor went right to the guest bedroom. He wrapped himself up under the covers and cried quietly. Whether it was from pain or exhaustion, he wasn't sure, but it all suddenly felt like too much.

Losing his mother.

Finding out his father was a monster.

Almost getting killed the first time he tried to be a hero.

Connor shook as he sobbed quietly. 'Why can't everything go back to the way it was?' he wondered. His heart ached for how easy life had been just six months before. He wanted to go back to the monastery. Back to his friends and the one-room classroom. Back to sunrise meditation and gardening. Back when he had his friends and the monks, as well as his mother. 'Now I don't have anyone,' he thought miserably as he wiped his eyes. 'No one but a guy who probably resents me and would never want to let me stay. No matter how hard I try to prove I can be a good hero.'

Overwhelmed and utterly lost, Connor eventually cried himself into an uneasy sleep.

— —

When Roy returned home, he was still wide awake; despite it being nearly 3 am. His tailing of the detective hadn't given him anything besides how dedicated he was to his job. 'Which isn't a bad thing,' the vigilante thought as he kicked his shoes off. 'Definitely not a bad thing. Just…makes it hard for me to decide what do about him. I definitely can't tell him the truth. I don't even know if he would believe me if I did.' And yet the man showed such dedication to his work that part of Roy couldn't help but feel like he'd probably thrown the same dedication into that missing person's case seven years ago. In the end, all trailing the detective had really done for Roy was make him wring his hands and sigh. 'Guess this is just a problem I won't solve tonight.' He froze as he passed the door to the guest bedroom. 'One of many I guess.'

After a moment of hesitation, Roy silently opened the door. The only sound inside was Connor's near-silent breathing. It was deep and even enough that Roy was certain he was asleep. He slowly walked closer, apprehension swirled inside of him as he approached the sleeping teen. Connor was partially uncovered by the blanket from the was it up, so Roy could see his abdomen. He frowned when he saw something white peeking out under the teen's shirt. 'What-' the thought stopped cold when he pulled up Connor's shirt. 'A bandage?! Why?! Did he hurt himself?' The wound wasn't in a place where he was likely to hurt himself in the apartment. Roy's eyes narrowed and he frowned more as he pulled the hem of Connor's shirt back down, then re-covered him with the blanket before he left.

— —

The following night, Red Arrow hung around the harbor, watching the water with keen eyes. He sighed lowly as he leaned back against the second level roof behind him. "Waiting… Waiting… Waiting…" he muttered. Something moved in the water, then someone climbed out of the water and onto one of the docks. "About time." Red Arrow smiled as he jumped down from the rooftop. His smile grew as he walked down the dock to the edge. "You're late!" he called.

"I apologize," Kaldur replied. He held his hand out to his boyfriend for Red Arrow to pull him up. "I had to take care of something at the Cave."

"Real or proverbial fire?"

"A little bit of both." Kaldur sighed as he leaned in and kissed Red Arrow in greeting. "I am glad to see you though."

"Me too." Red Arrow joined Kaldur on the edge of the dock, with their feet dangling just above the water. He intertwined their fingers and leaned closer so he could rest his head on the Atlantean's shoulder.

"You seem stressed."

"Life is stressful sometimes."

"Hmm." Kaldur kissed Red Arrow's hair. "Tell me about it."

Red Arrow sighed. 'I want to tell him. I want to tell him everything. The detective. Connor. I- I can't though. This is so much to handle alone, but I don't think I can dump all this on him right now.' He nuzzled his head against Kaldur's neck. "I don't want to think about it for a little bit."

"Ok. Then don't." Kaldur's thumb traced small, intimate circles across Red Arrow's knuckles. "Just sit here with me. I haven't seen you in almost two weeks."

"I know. I was starting to feel neglected."

"I apologize, my love. As the Team grows, so does our strength. I need to spend a lot of time there, managing missions and increasing our training. However, I do miss having you with us."

"I know, but it was time for me to leave."

"You're doing great on your own. Tula and Garth have mentioned how impressed they are with your skills and dedication."

"I finally did something to impress them?"

"They are always impressed by you."

"No, you're mistaking them for you. You're impressed by me. They're always making comments about how I don't have any actual superpowers."

"It is a form of…what is the word…amusement?"

"Mhm…"

"They like you!"

"Is that why Garth calls me Pale Surface Boy?"

"You are pale. But in a good way."

"Uh-huh…"

"It is not that they do not like you. They just…are my oldest friends. They can be…protective. No more protective than your siblings or Batman."

"…True." Red Arrow titled his head back so he could look up at Kaldur. "I guess I don't have it so bad since I don't have to be scared of Batman."

"You would do well to remember it."

Red Arrow rolled his eyes and shoved Kaldur into the water. He snickered as his boyfriend floundered in the water for a moment. Kaldur's head popped up a second later. He was clearly trying to contain a smirk into a frown but didn't fully succeed. Red Arrow smiled down at him innocently. "What?"

"You should not-" Kaldur's sentence stopped suddenly, but the playful smile never let this face.

It was a move Red Arrow recognized easily, but he didn't change an of his demeanor. He leaned forward, keeping his body language relaxed as he did. "What is it?" he asked.

"I do not wish to alarm you…but we have someone spying on us. Behind the grey building on your left."

"Hmm…" Red Arrow gave Kaldur a slight nod, then his friend grabbed his bow and slid it back several feet. "That wasn't nice." Trying to act natural, Red Arrow looked back and grabbed his bow. As he did, he spotted something green flash against the grey building in the dim light. He turned back to Kaldur. "Don't worry about it."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. It's…not something you need to worry about."

Kaldur nodded. "As long as you are sure."

"I am." Red Arrow held out his hand and pulled Kaldur back out of the water. "Ignore it for now."

"Right."

Their conversation moved on, but after several minutes, the figure behind the building stuck his head back out. He watched them for several minutes, slowly frowning in confusion. 'Why is Roy talking to him?' Connor wondered as he observed. 'Are they…friends?' It seems like it but their body language, particularly the intimateness of their movements with each other (like the other guy constantly running his fingers through Roy's hair) suggested this relationship was something else. Something…more. 'Roy never mentioned if he had…boyfriend. I mean, I've also known him for like four days.' The more Connor watched though, the longer he wanted to. It was a soft side of Roy he'd never really seen before. 'He isn't all…tense and distant like he is with me.' Whoever this other guy was, he must've been something really special to Roy.

Roy stayed with his friend for a long time, the two of them sitting and talking about things Connor couldn't hear. Eventually, they both stood and embraced. They held each other close for a while, probably kissing judging by the angel of their heads. When they broke apart, Connor jerked back behind the budding he'd been using as a cover. 'I don't think he knows I'm here,' he thought as he waited for Roy to leave. 'It'll be fine, I just have to wait until they finish and Roy leaves.' His plan for that night was to follow Roy around to get a better idea of how to copy his vigilante style. 'Five minutes should probably be good,' he thought. 'Five minutes and I can try to follow him.'

"Waiting for something?" someone asked.

Connor jumped and spun to the right. His eyes winded when he saw Red Arrow standing in front of him. "Uh…"

"Good answer." Red Arrow's eyes narrowed as he surveyed Connor. The kid was wearing a dark green hoodie with the hood pulled up and a makeshift mask made of a strip of cloth that had eye holes cut out of it. "Let's go."

"But-"

"Connor. Let's. Go."

The archer's voice was hard and left little room for argument. Connor swallowed as he followed him. 'He seems really mad,' he thought. 'This will probably make it harder for me convince him. I have to convince him to let me stay though. I have to find a way. I have to.'


	4. Promises

A/N: Here's the next chapter! If you haven't seen it already, you should check out The Mysterious Disappearance of Roy Harper by Lunammoon over on Archive of Our Own (AO3)! It's a great story! Read on and let me know what you think!

Red Arrow didn't take Connor home. As much as he probably should've, this didn't feel like a conversation that would be safe in his apartment. So instead he took the teen back to his base. He stopped his bike and turned it off when they arrived, then sighed long and low. "Go sit down in the medbay," he said.

"You mean on the cot?" Connor asked.

"…Yes, on the cot."

"Ok." Connor got off the back of the bike and slowly made his way over to the "medbay".

For a few seconds, Red Arrow just watched him walk away, unsure of what to say. There was just so much going on, he didn't quite know where to start. The sight of the 13-year-old in his medbay gave him a focal point though. 'I have to make sure he's not injured,' he thought. As he approached the teen he took off his mask and set his equipment aside. "Are you hurt?"

"No," Connor replied quietly "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Roy's eyes flickered down to the teen's side, which Connor noticed.

"Oh…well… I may have an injury on my side. It's fine though! I checked it and everything, it's not even deep."

"Uh-huh. Take your sweater off and lay down."

"But-"

"Connor."

Again, the tone of Roy's voice didn't leave any room for argument, so Connor complied. He waited tensely as Roy pulled up his shirt, then gently removed the bandages from his side. He waited, almost with bated breath, as Roy examined his wound. There was a minute of silence, where Connor couldn't think of anything to say. He studied Roy's face, but the man's expression was difficult to read.

"How did you do this?" Roy asked eventually.

"I- I was…out and someone shot at me." The hands on his side froze. "The bullet only grazed me, though!"

"You were shot?!" Roy stared at him in shock for a second. "You were- Why didn't you say anything?!"

"It was a shallow wound. I thought I could take care of it."

"Do you have any idea how irresponsible this was?!" Roy shook his head and continued before Connor could answer. "Of course you don't! You're a child, how could you?!" He sighed low. "Thankfully, it is shallow, so as long as you keep it bandaged and clean it should be fine."

"See? I told…you-" The words died on Connor's tongue as he took in the look on Roy's face.

"Connor…do have any idea, how dangerous it was going out on your own like that?! You could've been killed!"

"I wasn't-"

"That doesn't matter!" Roy rubbed his face. "God, Connor… Did you ever think about what I would do if something happened to you?! While you're here I'm responsible for you! It would kill me if something happened!"

"I- I didn't really think about it like that."

"Clearly!" Roy sighed and started pacing back and forth, his hands on his hips. "Why?! Why would you do something this dumb?!"

"Because I wanted to stay! I- I thought if I showed you I can be a vigilante like you, then you'd let me stay!"

"Connor, I'm not going to let you stay here!"

"Why not?!"

"Because- Because I just can't!" Not with what happened to Jason. Not when Connor looked so much like…him. "I'm sorry, Connor, but I can't!"

"But I really want to! Please?!"

"Why?! Why do you want to stay so badly?!"

"Because I don't want to be like him!" Connor started shaking a little bit and his voice strained as he visibly tried to keep from crying. "I- I don't want to end up like my father." Connor dropped his head, trying to hide his tears from Roy. "I don't want to be like that! I- I want to be different! I want to be better!"

Some of Roy's anger faded and he wiped his hand down his face. "Connor-"

"I know you don't like me…but I don't know what else to do! I have to do this, Roy! I just have to!"

Roy reached out and put a gentle hand on his back. "Connor. Hey, Connor, look at me." The teen lifted his head and Roy crouched down to his eye level. "You are not Oliver. You might be his son, but that doesn't mean you'll turn out like him."

Connor wiped his eyes as he kept crying. "Please let me stay, Roy. Please. I promise I'll do everything you say and I won't cause any trouble."

"Connor… I don't want to put you in harms way-"

"But if you train me and if you're there with me, then you can keep me safe!" He sniffed. "Plus…I could always keep trying to be a vigilante, even if you send me back to San Fransisco."

'…Damn it,' Roy sighed as he stood and rubbed his face again. 'He'll probably do it too.' He glanced at Connor. 'No, I know he'll do it. I recognize that determination. He so desperately wants to distance himself from Oliver that he'd do anything to make it happen.' And it wasn't as if that was a feeling Roy wasn't familiar with. 'On the contrary, I know exactly how he feels right now.' Which left him with a dilemma. Did he let Connor stay and risk him getting hurt…or did he send him back and risk him making good on his threats? Roy groaned. "Fine…"

"Fine?" Connor picked up his head and gave Roy an uncertain look. "What do you mean fine?"

"I mean fine, you can stay."

"I- I can stay?"

"Yes, but I have some conditions. I will train you, but you have to do everything I say and do it how I tell you to do it. You'll still go to school and do normal teenage things, which means you'll need to learn how to balance that with vigilante work. Understand?"

"Yes! Absolutely, anything!" There were still tear-tracks on Connor's face, but he wasn't crying any fresh ones. "So I can stay?"

"Yes." Roy started pacing again as he thought. "I'll still need to bring you to the police, only because you're missing though. Do you know who your social worker is?"

"Yeah, she gave me her number."

"Ok. Once the police bring you back, I'll contact her and see if I can get guardianship over you."

"You'll really do that?"

"I don't see another way to do it." Roy sighed, then nodded to himself. "Ok, sounds like a plan. Now, let's go home. You need to go to bed- actually we both do, it's going to be a long day tomorrow."

"Ok." Connor hopped off the table and grabbed his sweater.

Roy shook his head as he followed him up the stairs. 'I really hope this is a good idea,' he thought. 'It feels like a bad idea, I don't even know how to take care of a kid and this one looks like Ollie… God, what am I getting myself into?'

— —

The next morning, Roy took Connor down to the police station. The teen seemed nervous, but Roy put a hand on his shoulder to calm him. "Don't worry, it'll be fine," he reassured him.

"Are you-"

"Raymond?" Detective Rodgerson said as he approached them. "It's a surprise to see you here."

"You as well, Detective," Roy replied.

"What're you doing here?"

"Well, I uh…needed to speak with someone about my friend here." He tapped Connor's shoulder.

"I'm not busy at the moment, come over to my office and I'll see what I can do."

"Thanks." Roy and Connor followed the detective to his office, then sat down in two chairs across from him.

"What can I help you with?"

"This is Connor Hawke. He's from San Fransisco and he's a runaway."

"A runaway?" Detective Rodgerson frowned and looked at Connor. "Why did you run away? Was anything going on at home?"

"No," Connor replied quickly. "My foster parents were great. I just… I was going through some stuff and didn't want to be there."

"I see. I'll just call the San Fransisco police to let them know we found you and see if they can give me a contact number for your social worker."

"Ok." Connor looked at his legs and rubbed his hands on them nervously. He'd been anxious from the moment he'd woken up. Worried thoughts had plagued him all morning. 'What if Roy doesn't hold up his end of the bargain? What if just sends me back and doesn't try to get me? What will I do then?' He'd meant what he said about going out on his own, but part of him was terrified after he'd been hurt.

"Connor?" Roy asked quietly. He put one of his hands on the teen's to get his attention. "You ok?"

"…Yeah. I'm fine."

"Everything's going to be fine. Promise."

"Mhm." Connor nodded to himself. 'Roy hasn't lied to me yet. I have no reason to believe he'd lie about this. It'll all be ok. It will.' He waited silently as the detective talked to someone from the San Fransisco Police Department, occasionally writing something down on a piece of paper.

"Excellent," Detective Rodgerson said. "Thank you so much." He hung up, then turned to Roy and Connor. "The good news is you're safe, the San Fransisco police are going to inform your social worker where you are and she'll come to get you. Bad news is you need a new foster home, so you'll most likely be going to a temporary one tonight."

"Were- Did they tell you if my foster parents were really upset?" Connor asked quietly. "Because I swear I wasn't trying to upset them! They were really nice and everything, I just had a lot going on-"

"Calm down, kid. It's ok. Everything's fine. The officer I talked to didn't mention them, but if you give me their number I can call them and let them know you're safe. Will that make you feel better?"

"I- Yeah, it till. I just don't want them to worry a lot and you know…spend the rest of their lives wondering what happened to me."

Connor's words sent a jolt through Roy, but he tried to hide it. He glanced at Detective Rodgerson, but the man was smiling at the teen with a smile that was humorless at his eyes.

"No, we definitely wouldn't want that," he replied. He handed Connor a small pad of paper and a pen. "Write down their number and I'll take care of it."

"Thanks." Connor scrubbed down his foster father's number, then handed the pad back.

"Thank you." Detective Rodgerson heard Connor's stomach growl and he smiled. "Hungry?"

"…Not really."

"Oh yeah?" He took out his wallet and handed Connor a couple of dollars. "There's a vending machine down the hall to the right. Why don't you go get yourself a snack?"

"Uh…sure." Connor glanced at Roy, who nodded.

"Go on," he encouraged. "I'll be here when you get back."

"O-Ok." Connor left, nervously playing with the bills as he walked.

"He seems attached to you," Detective Rodgerson noted a hint of suspicion in his voice. "How did you find him again, Raymond?"

"It was a coincidence," Roy said. "I was walking around in my neighborhood and just happened to come across him. I could tell he'd been sleeping on the streets, so I offered to take him to a youth shelter. He freaked out and seemed pretty upset, so I just offered to let him sleep at my place."

"Why didn't you bring him straight here?"

"I just found out he was a runaway."

"Did he tell you anything about these 'problems' he had that caused him to run away?"

"…A little. He said he wanted to track down his birth father, despite not knowing who the man was. I managed to convince him that maybe it wasn't in his best interest. What with them never having met and all."

Detective Rodgerson nodded sadly. "Poor, kid. He seems nice, I'm sure he's just not dealing well with the stress of so many life changes so quickly."

"It can be hard."

"I'm just glad you found him and not someone who would've hurt him. Runways are at a high risk of being victimized by all sorts of crimes."

"I know. He's a really good kid too, you know?"

"In my experience they usually are." The detective's voice was sad as he picked up the phone on his desk.

'What a nice guy,' Roy thought as Rodgerson called Connor's foster parents. 'Damn, why does he have to be so nice? It makes it harder for me to decide how I'm going to lie to him.'

A few minutes later, Connor returned with a small bag of cheese and crackers. He sat in the chair next to Roy but didn't move to open his snack. He sat still, watching Detective Rodgerson talk on the phone. When the man finished, he squeezed his legs. "What did they say?" he asked.

"They were relieved to find out you were ok and safe," Detective Rodgerson reassured him. "They were a little upset that you took off like you did and your foster mother seemed sad they couldn't take you in again."

Connor nodded and looked at his legs. "At least they know now."

"Absolutely. So, Raymond, I can take care of Connor from here if you want to leave-"

"No!" Connor looked at Roy, his eyes wide. "Please don't leave. You promised."

"I know, I know," Roy assured him. "It's ok, just relax." He turned to Detective Rodgerson. "Would it be ok if I stayed?"

"Of course." Rodgerson looked at Connor. "Why are you so intent on Raymond staying?"

"He-He's been taking care of me. I trust him and I like him."

"That's ok. He can stay with us." Detective Rpdgerson gave Roy a small smile before he looked at some paperwork on his desk.

Since it was a few hours before Connor's social worker would arrive in Star, Roy didn't expect Detective Rodgerson to just let him and Connor sit at his desk, but even after an hour passed, he never asked them to leave. Roy passed the time by mentally lining up his best arguments for him to keep Connor. 'Even if Connor has to leave the city tonight, I need to make sure his social worker understands I want to take him in,' Roy thought. Every one in a while, he glanced at his young companion, but Connor mostly looked at his snack and picked at it. By the time they heard someone approaching, the teen had only eaten two of the six crackers in the pack. Roy and Connor turned around in their chairs as a middle-aged woman approached them.

"Detective Rodgerson?" she asked when she reached them.

"The very same," Rodgerson replied as he stood and shook her hand. "This is Raymond Wayne, the man who found Connor."

"Kelsey Bartlett."

"Nice to meet you," Roy said as he shook her hand.

Kelsey turned to Connor. "Are you ok?" she asked him, a hint of both concern and anger in her voice.

"Yeah," Connor nodded, his voice quiet. "I am."

"Good." Kelsey turned to Roy and Detective Rodgerson. "Thank you both, for finding him and returning him to my care."

"Of course," Detective Rodgerson nodded. "I'm glad we're able to help."

"Mrs. Bartlett, can I talk to you about something?" Roy asked. "Alone?"

"Of course." Kelsey glanced at Detective Rodgerson, who smiled at Connor.

"Let's go get you a drink for the ride back to San Fransisco," he suggested to the teen.

Connor glanced at Roy, who gave him a nod. "Ok," he agreed quietly. His gaze lingered on Roy before he stood and followed Detective Rodgerson.

After he left, Kelsey sat in his chair and looked at Roy. "What can I help you with?" she asked.

"I want to keep Connor," Roy said, getting right to the point. "I want him to stay with me."

"Why?"

"We've…really bonded over these last couple days."

"You do realize what you're saying, right? Taking care of a child is a big responsibility."

'Please don't remind me…' Roy tried not to cringe. It was a huge responsibility he definitely wasn't prepared for. "I realize that, but I want to do this."

There was a moment of silence as Kelsey studied him, then opened her bag. "I'm not trying to dissuade you," she said as she pulled a file out of it. "God knows you'd be doing me a favor, but I feel it's only fair for you to see Connor's file."

"Why?"

"Because I know there's information about himself he hasn't shared with you. He all but begged me not to tell his former foster parents about it."

Roy's chest tightened a little and his heart started beating faster, but he still took the file. 'What could possibly be in here that Connor wouldn't want me to see?' he wondered. Inside, the first page held the teen's standard information. Name, age, date of birth, etc. As he read, Roy filed way some of the information, so he would have info about Connor. The next page had a list of disciplinary actions that had been taken against Connor. It was here Roy nearly gasped and his ribs constricted against his lungs. 'He broke another kid's arm?! Fractured another's jaw…' Complaints about Connor's behavior from teachers and administrators were listed and they only served to dry up Roy's mouth.

Severe anger issues.

Trouble with self-control.

Prone to violent outbursts.

'What was it Connor was afraid of? That he was a lot like his father?' Apparently, he was even more like Oliver than Roy had known. Even through his rising panic though, Roy tried to use the rational side of his brain. 'This is nothing like the Connor I know. None of this reads like the quiet and polite kid who's been staying in my guest bedroom.' Clearly, Connor had changed. Something in the last few years had allowed him to gain control over his anger issues and work through them. 'Which is what matters. It doesn't mean he has something to hide. I definitely know a thing or two about having a past you aren't proud of.' He nodded his head, then looked at Kelsey. "This doesn't change my mind. Like I said before, Connor and I have sort of bonded and I'd like to take him in."

"It's hard to say no. Given his record and now with a runaway mark against him, it'll be harder to find a good home for him. Especially one that was as good as the last one." She studied Roy for a moment. "I'm going to give you a tentative yes."

"Tentative?"

"Yes. Connor does seem attached to you and I have a few kids I need to place right now. If you pass the background check and the home inspection, then I'll place Connor with you."

Roy smiled widely. "Thank you, so much."

"You're the one who found him and decided to keep him. I should be thanking you." They stood and shook hands. "I'll schedule your background check and home inspection for later this week. If all goes smooth you should be able to assume guardianship over Connor in about two weeks."

"Sounds good. Uh…would you mind if I said good-bye to him before you left?"

"Not at all."

Roy looked in the direction Detective Rodgerson and Connor had disappeared in to go find them— only to see the two approaching them. 'That detective really has some kind of sixth sense…' he thought. Roy walked over to meet them halfway.

"Am I staying with you?" Connor asked before Roy could say anything.

"Probably," Roy replied. "Your social worker says I have to pass a background check and home inspection first."

"How long will those take?"

"A couple weeks." A look of panic flashed over Connor's face. "Con, listen, it's going to be ok. Two short weeks and you can live with me. Understand?"

"…Yeah…" Connor looked at the ground. "You promise I'll see you in two weeks?"

"…Promise." If for some reason, he didn't pass the background check and inspection, then he would see what Red Arrow could do to help him. 'I promised Connor he could live with me, and even though I've only known him a couple days, I can't stand the thought of breaking that promise to him.' Roy gave the teen's shoulder a squeeze. "Come on. Let's go so we don't hold your social worker up any longer."

"Ok…"

Roy kept his hand on Connor's shoulder as they walked back to where Kelsey was waiting. "Everything all set?"

"Absolutely," Kelsey replied. She looked at Connor. "Let's go. We have to get you to your temporary home."

"Ok," Connor mumbled. He stepped away from Roy, then looked back at him. "Bye, Ray."

"See you soon, kid," Roy replied.

"Bye Detective Rodgerson, thanks for all your help."

"Of course," Rodgerson replied. He pulled out a business card and handed it to Connor. "If you need anything just give me a call."

"Thanks." Connor put the card in his pocket.

"Raymond, Detective Rodgerson," Kelsey said, nodding to each of the men. "Thank you."

"Any time," Rodgerson replied.

"I hope to hear from you soon," Roy said.

"I'll be in touch."

Roy watched Connor leave with Kelsey, especially the way the teen seemed to become even more depressed the closer they got to the door of the police station. 'It'll be ok, Connor,' Roy thought as he watched pair leave the station. 'I promised I'd train you to fight crime and I never break a promise.' Hopefully, this wasn't a promise he'd regret keeping.


	5. An Explosive Mystery Begins

A/N: Here's the next chapter! Enjoy and please let me know what you think!

Predictably, Roy basically soared through both the background check and the home inspections. The former was a simple matter of submitting his false documents to the police (they'd never failed him before, Batman made excellent fake identities) and receiving a letter confirming he'd never committed a major felony. The latter portion consisted of Connor's social worker coming to his apartment with a checklist of requirements.

'This is a lot easier than I thought it would be,' Roy thought as he followed Kelsey around his apartment. "So, how's everything look?"

"Good actually. You have a separate bedroom and a bed for him. I don't see evidence of drugs or any alcohol that needs to be locked up."

"I don't drink."

"Honestly everything seems to be in order." She wrote something else down on her clipboard before signing it. "I see no reason not to allow Connor to live with you."

"When can I see him?"

"It'll take about a week for the paperwork to be processed. Once it's done, I can bring Connor back here."

"Ok. How- How's he doing?" The last week without him had made Roy at little nervous if he was honest with himself. 'Even if I'm a little…resistant to getting attached to him, it's not like I want the kid to be dealing with undue stress.'

"He's doing fine. I'm eager to get this paperwork through though. I keep having to move him to a different home every couple of nights, so it's a hectic for him right now. The sooner he has a permanent placement the better."

"Right. Well, can you tell me when everything is all set?"

"I will."

"Thank you." Roy showed her to the door, then sat on the couch after she left. 'I really hope I'm doing the right thing. I have no idea how to take care of a kid, or train him to be a vigilante.' He ran his hands through his hair. 'I told him I would though, so I have to try. I can't back out. Not now.' He tapped his fingers off his legs for a few seconds before he stood again. "I should probably eat before patrol."

A few minutes of rummaging through the cupboards rewarded him with a bowl of cereal. 'I really need to buy food,' Roy thought as he ate. 'Some real food. Especially if Connor's going to be living here.' Which meant he needed vegetarian food too. The twisting feeling in his gut returned and he kept eating. He was feeling so jittery though, so he immediately took off for the Arrow Cave after that.

— —

Red Arrow had only been out on the streets for an hour when he saw the flashing lights. He mentally counted the police cars as they sped by under his position. 'Three,' he thought. 'That's-' Three more sped by and he sighed. "Looks like I can't ignore it then." He shot a grappling arrow down the block, then zip-lined down the street. As he kept zip-lining, he kept track of where the police were heading, basically managing to stay on their tail. When he finally caught up, he discovered the police cruisers had surrounded a bank.

'Bank robbery,' Red Arrow thought as he watched the police form a barricade around the building. 'It must be pretty serious if they brought this many officers.' As much as he normally liked to avoid the police, the archer couldn't bring himself to leave the scene. 'I'd hate if one of them got hurt when I could've been here to help.' He sighed as he zip-lined himself to the bank roof. 'Even if they're just as likely to shoot at me as the robbers.' He found a vent exit on top, then carefully removed the cover. 'Let's go.'

Thankfully the vent was a straight shot down until he reached an opening. Red Arrow paused for a moment, listening for any sounds, then released his hands from the sides of the vent. He dropped like a stone and crashed through the bottom of the vent. There was a loud clang! then, deafening silence. Red Arrow waited in a crouched position, his hand half stretched toward his quiver for a moment. Then he pulled out an electroshock arrow and nocked it to his bow. He slowly drew back the string as he moved out of the office he'd landed in. A floorboard creaked on his right, so he took a breath, then stepped out of the doorway and swung his bow around in the same moment. He found himself staring down the barrel of a gun.

"You!" Detective Rodgerson hissed. His hand dropped for a second, then he raised it again as if realizing, then suddenly remembering who he was talking to. "You're the vigilante."

"Name's Red Arrow."

"So you're like him."

Red Arrow swallowed as his stomach churned a little. "I'm nothing like him. In case you haven't noticed, I don't kill criminals."

"…What're you doing here?"

"Saw the police cars go by and wanted to investigate." He relaxed the string of his bow and lowered the arrow. "So, should we go catch the robbers?"

"Leave this to the actual law enforcement, Archer."

"This is bad, right? What's happening down there?"

"…We think it's metahumans."

'Metas in Star?' he wondered. "Then let me help. We're not used to that around here. People could get hurt."

Detective Rodgerson stared him down for a moment. "Fine. Cover me." He moved down the stairs before Red Arrow could say anything else.

'Better than nothing,' Red Arrow thought as he followed the detective down the stairs. His eyes scanned the bank foyer below for any signs of movement. 'They're keeping the lights low,' he thought as he stepped silently onto the marble floor. 'Can they see in the dark?' The bank was silent as the two of them crept forward. When they were closer to the vault, there was a shuffling sound and then a muffled crash! Both detective and vigilante froze in their tracks.

"I'm going to investigate," Rodgerson whispered. "Wait here."

Red Arrow opened his mouth to argue he should go, but the detective was one before he got the chance. 'Fine, then,' he thought. 'Why is he even in here alone? Shouldn't there be more officers in here with him? Oh well…now's not the time to be worrying about that.' He raised his bow and pulled back the bowstring. 'First person who comes out and isn't Rodgerson gets shot. He didn't say there were any hostages.' From the dim light that illuminated from the inside of the safe, he could see Detective Rodgerson approaching. His arrowhead followed the man's every step, ready to shoot someone who attacked him.

Rodgerson paused for a moment before he flung the door of the vault open. "Police! Hands up!"

'What-' Red Arrow didn't have time to ponder the strange weapons in the robbers' hands before one of them moved. He reacted on instinct and shot the man in the neck with his electroshock arrow. It had no effect though, as whatever black armor he was wearing seemed to absorb the electric shocks. 'What the hell?!' They were bulletproof as well because the two shots Detective Rodgerson had managed to get off seemed to bounce off the robbers like they were Kryptonian. Red Arrow pulled out a glue arrow and shot it at the feet of the two women. The glue expanded and hardened within seconds, trapping their feet. Unfortunately, that did little to stop them from firing the weapons they were holding. "Look out!" Red Arrow ran forward and tackled Detective Rodgerson to the ground.

"Get off!" As soon as he saved the vigilante off, Rodgerson raised his gun again but had to roll to the side to avoid the red beam that shot out of the weapon that had been pointed at him. "What the f-"

"Watch it!" Red Arrow somersaulted backward to avoid getting blast himself, then did a backflip to avoid it again. He shot another glue arrow, managing to land it on the muzzle of the strange weapon. 'What even is that?!' It was larger than any gun, more resembling a small canon or grenade launcher than anything, and also shooting red laser beams. He shot another glue arrow at the muzzle of another gun, then shot a foam arrow at two women standing near a wall. Even as fast as he was shooting, the robbers with weapons kept shooting at him and Detective Rodgerson, forcing them farther and farther back. 'How are we supposed to stop this?!' One of the men suddenly threw something at the wall by Red Arrow and the vigilante had only seconds to throw himself to the right.

An explosion shook the bank and threw Red Arrow to the ground. He landed hard enough to knock the air out of his lungs and the skin on his left arm tingled above his arm guard. 'What the hell?!' he thought with a groan as he tried to stand. The shaking in his legs forced him back down to the ground within seconds though. A few feet away, Detective Rodgerson struggled to get to his feet as well. 'These guys aren't messing around…' Being so incapacitated, the two men could only watch as the remaining robbers left through the hole in the wall with large duffel bags of money.

"Damn it!" Detective Rodgerson swore as he finally managed to get to his feet. He ran toward the hole but could only make it a few feet before he collapsed again.

"I don't think they're metas…" Red Arrow muttered. "Those weapons…the armor…" He took a deep breath, wincing at the sharp pain in his lungs. "They've got some dangerous toys, but I don't think they have any powers…"

"Whatever they are, they got away."

'I have to stop them,' Red Arrow thought as he finally managed to get to his feet. 'I don't want weapons like those on the streets.' He heard the front doors of the bank open and grabbed a grapple arrow from his quiver. 'Time to go.' He shot it at the chilling, then looked at Detective Rodgerson. "Are you ok?" he asked.

"…Nothing serious."

Red Arrow nodded, then activated the arrow. When he was level with the second floor again, he swung onto the landing. Through the railing, he could see more officers gathering around Detective Rodgseron.

"Way to simply scout ahead," one of them said, his body turned toward the hole in the wall. "What happened to reporting back?"

"I was going to," Rodgerson replied. "but then they started shooting lasers and I got a little distracted!"

"So they are metas?"

"…Maybe not. They could've just gotten their hands on some dangerous weapons."

"Whatever the case, we need to track them down. Now."

"I know. There's four of them in the vault now, let's get them downtown. Maybe we can get information from them."

'He didn't tell them I was there?' Red Arrow wondered as he moved away from the railing, then moved toward the office he'd come in through. 'Weird. They'll find my arrows down there. It's not they won't figure it out.' He shrugged, then winced as the action pulled at his ribs. 'I'm still glad he didn't shoot me.'

— —

The following night, Red Arrow was back on the streets. Despite a sharp pain in his ribs whenever he moved a certain way and the 1st-degree burns that covered his left bicep, he couldn't afford to be idle. Those dangerous weapons were somewhere on the street and he had to find them. The best place he thought to try, was the bank. He snuck around to the side-street where the hole was and looked around. 'Cameras… Cameras…' He huffed. 'No cameras. Ok.' When he got to the hole, which had been roped off by police tape, he examined the edges, looking for residue of any kind.

"We already did that," Detective Rodgerson said from behind.

Red Arrow spin around and his hand shot to his quiver, almost of its own accord. He saw the detective's hand drop toward his gun and dropped his hand. "Do you ever sleep?" he asked without thinking.

A small smile played on Rodgerson's lips. "I could ask you the same question."

"I can't rest while those weapons are on the streets. God only knows what kind of damage they can do."

"I agree. We already tried to find any residue from the explosion. There was none."

"None?" That was weird. There couldn't have been a lack of any residue unless… "They blew up the wall with some kind of laser bomb. Like those guns they had."

"A laser bomb?"

"It explains the lack of residue."

"It does but…laser bomb?"

Red Arrow shrugged. "I've seen weirder."

"I'm sure you have." Detective Rodgerson stared at him for a moment. "Any ideas on where they're getting all these dangerous weapons?"

"None. Yet."

"Well, don't even think about interrupting a police investigation. Got it?"

"Got it." Red Arrow took a step back, sensing he'd overstayed his welcome. 'Guess I need to take my investigation elsewhere.' While Detective Rodgerson turned his back to him, the vigilante got himself back up to the rooftop. Once he was up there, he started pacing back and forth. 'Where can I go from here? I don't have any residue or evidence to suggest where they could've gotten the weapons, or where they went.' His fingers tapped against his bow. 'I really hate to think it, but I may have to wait until there's another robbery.' Which was a horrible thought, especially coming from- His comm beeped in his ear and Red Arrow jumped. He frowned as his hand slowly moved toward his ear. "Red Arrow, here."

"Hey, Red," Batgirl replied.

"What's up BG?"

"I saw the bank robbery on the news. Everything ok out there?"

"…Of course."

"You have someone blowing up banks and that's 'ok'?"

Red Arrow rolled his eyes and started ziplining between the buildings. "I'm perfectly fine. And it wasn't the whole bank. Just part of a wall."

"Uh-huh." There was a pause. "Are you sure you're ok? If you need help the Team could come-"

"No! I don't need any help. I can handle it."

There was an awkward silence, almost like she was hesitating over what she wanted to say next. "B and Nightwing are worried about you. You don't exactly have a Joker and Riddler level rogues gallery."

"And your point is?"

"Things just don't randomly explode in Star."

"I know. Believe me, whatever weapons these robbers have, it's completely out of the ordinary, but I can handle it." And if Bruce and Dick were worried about him, they could contact him themselves. "I appreciate the worry, though."

"I know. You're really ok though? The explosion didn't take off your arm or anything like that?"

"All of my limbs are basically intact and 100% still attached to my body."

"Better be."

There was an explosion nearly on the other side of the city and Red Arrow jumped. His head snapped toward the red light of fire and pillar smoke that was rising from it. "I…have to go."

"Uh-huh. Just…be careful. Please. And don't forget to ask if you need help."

"You got it." Red Arrow dropped back down to where he left his bike, then sped toward the explosion. 'If it's them, then these robbers don't rest.' he thought as he took a sharp turn down a side-street. 'I really hope no one is hurt. Please don't let anyone be hurt.' The sounds of sirens seemed to reverberate off the buildings around him. Every once in a while he caught a glimpse of people looking out their windows, but most of them were just blurs to him. When he was within a few blocks of the police perimeter, Red Arrow got off his bike and took to the rooftops. He zip-lined between the buildings until he was close enough to see the scene for himself. 'Another bank?' he thought in confusion. 'These guys really aren't messing around.'

A quick survey of the situation told him that the fire department had the blaze under control. 'How did it catch on fire though?' Red Arrow wondered. His eyes kept scanning the ground, looking for anything he could use, and he spotted a person standing in an alley a block away. The figure was a little hard to make out in the shadows, but when one of them move suddenly, he moved. it only took a few seconds for him to zip-line across the street to the alley and run across the rooftop. He dropped down into the alley on the opposite side and the figure ran directly into him. Red Arrow barely moved while the smaller figure fell back on the ground.

"What the-" the girl stopped suddenly when she realized who was standing in front of her. "Fuck."

"What're you doing here?" Red Arrow asked. From the streetlights a few feet behind him, he could now get a good look at her. She was young, 16, maybe a small 17. Nothing about her screamed robber or even criminal. Her blonde hair hung down her back and her clothes and make-up looked like every other outfit he'd ever seen on teenage girls if a little extra revealing. 'Looks can be deceiving, but she doesn't strike me as someone who'd be robbing the bank with laser weapons and blowing things up.' The girl glared at him as she pushed herself to her feet and crossed her arms.

"Why're you coming after me?"

"I'm not. I saw you watching the fire from this alley and came to investigate. What're you doing out here?"

"I was on my way home."

"From where?"

"What're you a cop?"

"You know I'm not."

The girl scoffed. "No shit." When Red Arrow didn't say anything else, she continued. "I was just out."

"Doing what?"

"Hanging with my friends. Why, is it a crime to have fun now?"

'It would explain the way she's dressed.' And teenagers partying wasn't uncommon in Star, especially on a Saturday night. "Did you see anything?"

"Not really. I was on my way home when I saw the fire. I just wanted to see what was happening."

"Can you tell me exactly what you saw?"

The girl sighed, clearly getting agitated. "I was walking down the street and I saw the explosion at the bank. I was curious, so I started walking closer. Some…weirdos in all black with these huge ass guns ran onto Greber Street from the direction of the bank. Then the police showed up, so I ducked into the alley. That's when you showed up to interrogate me. Happy now?"

'Sounds like the same robbers to me,' Red Arrow thought as he processed the information. "You said they disappeared down Greber Street?"

"Yeah. I didn't follow them though, so where they went after is anyone's guess."

"Did you consider telling the police what you saw?"

The girl stiffened. "I don't really have a great relationship with the police."

'She's been in trouble with the law.' Which, knowing a 16-year-old, could mean anything from skipping school to violent crimes. 'Doesn't mean she's actually a criminal though. She seems like a normal enough kid.' That was enough for him, especially with laser-gun-toting bank robbers running around. Priorities. "You should go straight home. It's not safe to be on the streets right now."

"Yeah, no shit."

"Do you need me to escort you-"

"No! I mean, it's ok. I can handle myself."

"Are you sure? It'd be no problem." As much as he wanted to get to Greber Street and start trying to trace the robbers, he couldn't but help but offer.

"I'm sure. In fact, my…brother is right around the corner waiting for me."

"Let me walk you to him. It's the least I could do after I knocked you down earlier."

The girl seemed to debate internally before she gave him a stiff nod. "Fine." She walked past him onto the street and he followed her.

Neither of them said anything as they walked and sure enough, two blocks from the alley, there was a man leaning against a car. As they got closer, Red Arrow could hear him say, "Damn girl, she's late-"

"Richard!" the girl called as they approached.

The man, Richard, looked up and a strong look crossed his face before he smoothed it out. "What-"

"This is my brother, the one I was telling you about," the girl directed her words to Red Arrow. "He's going to take me home. Right, Richard?"

"Right. Absolutely. Thank you for escorting my sister here safely."

"Anytime," Red Arrow replied. "I'm always here to help."

"Uh-huh. Come on, Mia. Let's get home."

"Bye," the girl- Mia said to Red Arrow. "Uh… I hope you catch those weirdos."

"Thank you. Go home and get some sleep. OK?"

"Absolutely."

"Good. It was nice to meet you, Mia. If you ever need help, don't be afraid to look for me."

"…I won't. Thanks."

Red Arrow stepped back as Mia got in the passenger seat of the car and her brother got in the driver's side. 'They don't really look like they're related,' he thought as they drove away. 'That doesn't mean they're not though. One or both of them could be adopted.' He turned away and walked back the way he'd come. 'And she was a really big help. Time to head to Greber Street and start investigating.'

— —

"What did you say to him?" Richard asked Mia as he drove.

"Nothing. He wanted to know about that freak explosion that happened tonight."

"And you had nothing to say to him?"

"Nothing. Don't worry, he didn't suspect a thing. Besides, he's got more important things to worry about right now than a potential prostitute."

"I guess. As long as you didn't say anything suspicious-"

"I didn't-"

"Because we both know what would happen if we get caught." He glanced at her. "No one will take care of you better than me, Mia. No one."

"I know."

"Good. We're late for your next client. So be prepared."

Mia bit back a groan. "Of course."

— —

By the time Red Arrow got to Greber Street, the police were focusing their efforts closer to the bank. He used the night vision setting in his mask to scan the street before he dropped down. Everything was silent as he looked for any evidence that could help him. Unfortunately, the street was mostly stores that had closed for the night and there was no one around. Undeterred, he kept searching, looking for any evidence by scouring the entire street almost inch by inch.

'I have to stop them,' he thought as he searched. 'I have to before someone gets hurt.'

Finally, after several hours, he was near the end of the street when he saw it. A few drops of blood on the street.

'Score!' Red Arrow carefully scraped as much as he could with a sterile instrument, then stored it away for later. 'The sun will be up soon, I should head home.' There was no evidence the blood was from his bank robbers, but with the circumstances what they were, he was willing to rule out any potential evidence yet. 'Everyone makes mistakes and I'll catch up with these guys sooner rather than later.'


	6. Connor's Training Begins

A/N: Here's the next chapter! Enjoy and let me know what you think!

"Do you need any help?" Roy asked cautiously as he watched Connor unpack. Granted, the teen had only a small duffel bags of belongings, but it felt weird to simply stand there and watch him.

"No…" Connor replied as he put his clothes away in the dresser. "It's ok."

"Ok." Uneasiness caused Roy to shift from foot to foot. He didn't know what he was supposed to do with himself now that Connor was actually here. "Do you…need anything?"

"Not really."

"You sure? More clothes maybe?"

"…No."

Roy eyed the small duffel, which had contained exactly two pairs of pants and two shirts. His eyes traveled to Connor, who putting a picture frame on the top of the dresser, to survey him. The teen was wearing a third pair of pants and a third shirt. Then he saw the shoes Connor was wearing. They were dirty and beat up, clearly well worn, but the way he walked in them made Roy frown. Connor moved with caution and Roy saw a small grimace on his face with every step. Convinced that Connor needed at least enough clothes to have a different outfit for one week, and shoes that didn't clearly hurt him, he cleared his throat. "Why don't we go to the store? You need more clothes."

Connor quickly shook his head. "It's fine. I have enough."

"No, you don't."

"You don't need to give me anything."

"But I do have to provide you with your basic needs. Clothing is a basic need."

Connor turned away, biting his lip. "I don't need anything."

"You need clothes. Come on, we can grab lunch while we're out. It'll be…fun."

'He's not going to let go of this,' Connor thought with a hint of defeat. 'Why won't he just leave me alone? I'm already here on thin ice. He didn't really want me here, he's stuck with me because I forced him to let me become a vigilante. If I ask for too much and become a burden he might get rid of me. I don't want that to happen.' But Roy was the one insisting on buying him the clothes, so it wasn't really like Conor was asking. 'Just…get a few clothes. Not a lot, and you'll be fine.' He gave Roy a small nod and received a tense smile in return.

"Come on, if you're done."

"Ok." Connor looked around the room briefly, noting that it looked almost the same as it had before, except for the two books and the picture of him and his mother he'd placed on top of the dresser, as well as the backpack for school his social worker had given him. 'It's good though,' he thought. 'I didn't have a lot at the monastery either, and the less I have the less chance Roy will see me as a burden. Plus it'll be easier to leave if he decides to get rid of me.' The last thought made him wince as he followed Roy out of the apartment. Connor wasn't dumb. He knew Roy didn't like him or completely trust him. 'How could he when my father made him so miserable? How can he learn to love someone related to the man who traumatized him and ruined his life?' It was ok though because Connor wasn't for Roy to like him. 'I'm here so I can become a vigilante. I have to focus on that.'

As they walked down the street, Roy tried not to show any outward signs of anxiety. He resisted the urge to rub his hands together or let his hands shake. "You're in 7th grade, right?" he asked after a few blocks.

"Yeah…" Connor replied.

"There's a middle school that's only a 20-minute walk from the apartment. We can walk past it on our way home. I'll enroll you in a couple days, so you have a chance to settle in first."

"Ok."

"Do you have school supplies?"

"I have a backpack, a couple of notebooks and some pencils."

"I'll get you some more."

"You don't need to! I- I got by at my old school with what I had."

"I have to give you school supplies, Connor. You can't succeed in school if you don't have the right supplies."

"…Right."

"Do you like school?"

"I guess… It's ok. I miss school at the monastery."

"You had a school there?"

"Well…a schoolroom. It's where we had non-religious lessons mostly, although sometimes we'd learn about the history of Buddhism there as well. It was just a few boys and whatever monk was teaching us that day. Middle schools are big and loud. There are so many kids. It really makes me miss the one-room school."

"I understand. Sometimes the city feels so overwhelming with the people and the noise, it really makes me miss the town I grew up in on the reservation." The conversation dropped after that and it was silent as Roy led Connor into a small clothing shop. Of course, Star had big box stores, but Roy really loved the street lined with small stores in his neighborhood. "Ok, let's get you some clothes, then we'll go to the shoe store a couple of shops down."

"Ok." Connor glanced down at his sneakers, which had been given to him when he was removed from the monastery. They pinched his heels and toes when he walked, but they weren't completely falling apart, so he'd assumed they were just fine. "Do I really need shoes?"

"I can tell the ones you're wearing cause you pain to walk in, so yes. Come on, the sooner we finish the sooner we can get some food."

"Right."

Roy tried to let Connor lead the way to pick out the clothes that he wanted, but the teen was so quiet that it was like pulling teeth. 'What's with him?' Roy wondered. 'I'm just trying to buy the kids some clothes.' Finally, after getting Connor to admit that he liked several pairs of pants and a few shirts, they moved on to the shoe store. "Any particular types of shoes you like?"

"…Not really."

'This is going well,' Roy thought. 'I definitely made the right decision to take him in. I clearly know what I'm doing.'

The silences and quiet, half-answers continued at the shoe store. It took Roy a few minutes to figure out how to measure Connor's foot using the foot-measuring device. When he had it though, he spent twenty minutes trying to find shoes that Connor seemed at all excited about. Every color (blue, red, green, white) and every style got the same hesitant and uninterested response of 'it ok.' Eventually, Roy was walking back to Connor with another pair of shoes when he stopped. Connor was standing in the aisle staring at a pair of black shoes with three white stripes on the side. He held one in his hands for a few seconds, then slowly put it back. 'I think we found a winner.' Roy set down the box he'd been holding, then approached Connor, whose head turned toward him as he did. "Find something you like?"

"…They're ok."

"Uh-huh." Roy quickly found a pair in Connor's size and handed them to him. "Now that we've finished with that, we can get some lunch. Do you like pizza?"

"I haven't had it in a few years."

"Years?"

Connor nodded. "It's not exactly a staple of a monastic diet."

A smile quivered on Roy's lips. "I suppose you're right. Luckily, we're down the street from the best pizza parlor in Star. Come on." After he paid, Roy walked with Connor down the street. Again, the teen was silent. This was a different kind of silence, though. It wasn't the mindful kind that Roy remembered. It felt…tense. And if there was one thing he was familiar with, it was tense situations. "Are you ok, Connor?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you're being really quiet, even for you. Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing. I'm…fine."

"You don't seem fine. You've been distant this whole trip." He glanced at Connor, who looked pointedly at the ground. "Connor, please."

Connor was silent for a few seconds. "I don't want you to get rid of me."

"What- Why would I get rid of you?"

"I don't know… I mean… You didn't really want me here in the first place, I kind of had to force you to let me stay. If I ask for too much or become too much of a burden you might decide I'm not worth it. Especially since I'm…you know…related to him."

'That's a lot to take in,' Roy thought. His own heart rate was increasing just trying to wrap his head around the teen's anxieties. 'No. I'm an adult, I have to stay calm. I have to.' He took a couple of deep breaths. "I'm not going to get rid of you, Connor. I made a commitment to take care of you, and that isn't contingent on…other activities. You do not have to stick to our mutual hobby to stay here. If you decide to drop it, I'll still let you stay. Do you understand?"

"I guess… But, why? Why would you help the son of the man who…did all that to you?"

"You are not your father, Connor. You look like him a little bit and my brain overreacts a little bit sometimes when I see you, but you shouldn't take that personally. My brain has a tendency to overreact to a lot of things. Thankfully, I'm getting pretty good at controlling that. Besides, I would never dream of holding you responsible for what your father did."

'I might not be responsible, but I still need to make up the difference. I need to do everything possible to not become him.' Connor glanced at Roy. "You really won't get rid of me?"

"Of course not. I may have no clue what I'm doing, but I won't just ship you back to San Fransisco. I promise."

"Ok…" Connor wasn't sure if he believed Roy, but the man had never been insincere with him or given Connor a reason to doubt his honesty.

"Good. Now that we've settled that, let's get some pizza. We've got a busy afternoon ahead of us. Veggie pizza, I'm guessing?"

"Yeah."

"I've never had it, but I'm happy to try new things." Roy smiled at Connor and the teen gave him a weak smile in return.

— —

Later that afternoon and into the early evening, Roy tested Connor. He tested the teen's hand to hand combat abilities, which were impressive given his age, and his archery abilities. Ironically, since Connor was Oliver's biological son, there was a lot of room for improvement in that respect. His technique was rigid and Roy found himself already mentally correcting the teens' stance, the way he held the arrows, even how he pulled back the bowstring.

'It'll definitely take work to get him up to anywhere near a skill level acceptable for vigilante work,' Roy thought as he watched Connor and the teen failed, again, to hit the center of his target. 'But he has a ton of potential. And he's patient and dedicated.'

"What exactly does vigilante training look like?" Connor asked as he lowered his bow, quiver now empty.

"I'm…not sure. The only frame of reference I have is how Batman trained me and given how…archery focused our work is, I'll need to modify that training regime a little bit."

"What about my d- Oliver?" Connor noticed how tense Roy's muscles got, but his curiosity got the better of him, so he pushed on. "You aren't going to train me the same way he trained you-"

"No!" Roy's shout made Connor jump a little and the man immediately tried to reign in his emotions. "I'm not going to do that. I would never do that to you."

"How did he train you?"

Roy closed his eyes for a moment as phantom pain shot through his fingers like they were still sore and bleeding from hours and hours of archery practice. He made a fist and dug his fingernails into his palm. "I don't want to talk about that right now."

"But-"

"Connor. Not right now. Please."

"Ok. Sorry." Connor decided to retrieve the arrows from the target. 'Whatever happened…it must be bad. Really bad.'

Meanwhile, Roy wandered over to his computer set and sat down in the chair. He put his head in his hands and took several, deep and slow breaths. 'Just try to relax,' he thought. 'Relax. Ollie isn't here. He's not. Ollie's in the Green Lantern prison on another planet. He can't hurt you anymore. Or ever again.' He looked over at Connor as the teen finished putting his arrows back in the quiver. 'Which I am grateful for on a whole new level. Ollie can never know about Connor. He can never find out he has a son. Because I know him, and I know the moment he finds out he'll do everything in his power to use Connor and make the kid one of his pawns. I won't let that happen. No one else gets hurt because of Oliver. No one.'

"Do you want me to keep shooting?" Connor asked.

"No. I have a pretty good idea of what your skills are."

"And?"

"Well…"

"That bad?"

"You have a good foundation. There's a lot of room for improvement, but that's to be expected."

"How do I get better?"

"…Practice. Lots of practice. After-school every day."

"Ok."

"But you have to keep up with your homework too. It's part of our deal, remember?"

"I remember."

"Good. Right now I want to focus on your archery and hand to hand combat skills. I use a special combat technique that Batman developed. It uses a bow and can be easily switched between fighting and shooting. On the weekends I also want you in this chair and tracking my patrols while on the comms with me."

"Why?"

"So you have a good idea of how I operate. You'll also be studying maps of Star City that you need to memorize."

"Memorizing maps?"

"Yes. Because having an intricate knowledge of the city and its streets will be useful more times than you can count. Trust me."

"Ok." Vigilante training was a lot more work than Connor had initially thought.

Surprise must've shown on his face because Roy gave him an almost amused smile. "Daunted?"

"…A little."

"Good. Ready to back down?"

"No."

"Even better." The computer beeped behind Roy and spun around in his chair. "Oh no…"

"What?" Connor walked closer to the computer, but couldn't understand that information in the message that had popped up on the screen.

"There was no match for the DNA sample I got."

"Is it for a case?"

"Yeah. Crazy robbers with laser weapons have been hitting banks all over the city. So far I don't have a single lead, and neither do the police. Last week I found this blood sample and ran it through multiple databases to see if I could get a match on the DNA…but nada."

"What're you going to do now?"

Roy sighed and shook his head. "I don't know. This case has me really worried." Not just protecting the banks, but making sure he got the laser weapons off the streets. The absolute last thing he needed was for any of these weapons to find their way into the hands of more criminals. 'I really need to get to the bottom of this. And fast.' He glanced back at Connor, then got to his feet. "Let's practice your archery until dinner. Then I need to get to patrol."

"Sounds good."

Roy got to his feet and grabbed a bow of his own, then joined Connor in front of the target. "Ok. Let's work on that stance first."

— —

A couple nights later, Roy almost sighed when his phone went off and he saw who it was.

Kaldur: Want to…spend some quality time together tonight?

Roy: As much as I love the sound of quality time right now…it's not the best time

Kaldur: is it the robberies? I saw there was another last night on the news. Are you ok?

Roy glanced down at his arm, which was sporting a first-degree burn, as was the left side of his chest. As much as it had hurt, it'd been a good way for Connor to learn first aid. (If Roy telling him what to do through gasps of pain while the teen did everything with shaking hands and a look of terror on his face counted as a good teaching moment.)

Roy: I'm fine. Just busy

Kaldur: Do you need help? The Team could use the exercise

Roy: No. I'm doing fine

Kaldur: Nightwing is worried about you.

Kaldur: He refused to participate in our training yesterday and spent the whole time re-reading the same articles about the bank robberies

That made something in Roy's gut drop down to his feet.

"Is everything ok?" Connor asked. He stopped with his bow at mid-draw to look back at Roy.

"Yeah…" Roy said eventually as he set his phone aside and went back to the trick arrow he was building. "It's fine."

Connor nodded, then went back to his shooting. "Who's Kaldur?"

Roy frowned and paused in his work again. "Were you snooping?"

"No! I didn't mean to look, I swear, I just… I might've taken a peek when your phone went off yesterday."

"He's my boyfriend. Aqualad."

"Oh. You date Aqualad." Connor nodded to himself as if this was the most normal thing he'd ever heard.

"Yeah. I was on a team with him, Robin, and several other young heroes."

"A team of young heroes?!"

Roy looked up again and was taken aback by the look of awe on Connor's face. "Yes…"

"What did you guys do on this team?"

"Saved the world. The same thing the Justice League did; only from the shadows." A sad smile crossed his face as a sense of longing overcome him. Memories of missions and training sessions and campouts in the living room of Mount Justice flooded his mind. Even though it had only been almost a year since he'd retired from the Team to focus on his solo career…part of him longed for the happier and simpler times he'd had with his friends. Before everything got all screwy.

"Do I get to join?"

"…You want to join the Team?"

"I mean…that sounds really cool. You know, saving the world with other young heroes."

"Why don't you focus on trying to get ten bullseyes in a row. I believe you've still only reached five."

"Right."

Part of Roy felt bad about immediately shooting Connor down like that. After all, he was living in a new environment and embarking on the dangerous mission of hero work. It was only natural he wanted to share it with people his own age. 'Except putting him on the Team would require telling the League he exists,' Roy thought as he went back to work. 'I can't do that.' While Roy was confident the League wouldn't hurt Connor, he didn't know how they'd react to finding out Oliver had a son. Especially Batman. 'Bruce can be…unpredictable when Ollie is concerned. I doubt he'd even given Connor a chance before dismissing him. And the kid doesn't deserve that. He deserves to be judged on his own merits and not Oliver's.' Which is why Roy knew he had to keep his new partner a secret from Bruce, the League, and the Team for as long as possible. 'Once I have him trained and he's spent a few months taking down criminals, I can introduce him to the rest of the community. That way he'll have something else going for him besides just being related to Ollie.' Roy looked up from his arrow again to see Connor land another bullseye. 'Keep shooting kid. You'll get there.'

— —

"How was your first day of school?" Roy didn't get an answer from Connor, merely silence and the sound of arrows hitting the target. In the one week Connor had been training with him, the teen could already reliably shoot ten bullseyes in a row. Which had only prompted Roy to bump it up to fifteen. The new target number was proving to a challenge, but one he was confident Connor could overcome. And soon judging by how focused he was on the target instead of Roy's question. "Connor?"

Connor sighed. "It was ok…" he mumbled as he shot another arrow.

"Ok?" Roy walked closer and did a quick survey of Connor's form. "Stop." Every muscle in Connor's body froze. "You're still gripping he bowstring too tight." Roy stepped up behind him and carefully rearranged The teen's fingers so he only held the string with the tips. "There. Now you're less likely to snap it and you'll be able to shoot faster."

"Thank you." Once Roy stepped back, Connor went back to shooting, mindfully trying to keep his fingertips on the bowstring in the way Roy had shown him.

Roy watched him for a few shots before wandering over to his workbench to do maintenance on his trick arrows. "So school was only ok?" he asked as he sat down.

"Yeah."

"Do you no like school?"

"School is ok." Connor focused on his shooting since his new grip on the string had messed up his tally of bullseyes. "It was loud. And crowded. Everyone kept looking at me."

"And you didn't like those things?"

Connor took a deep breath to try and resist gripping the bow tighter. "I have a…history of not liking it when people give me unwanted, bad attention."

Roy looked up, but Connor didn't explain further. "I'm sure it'll get better when you start to make friends. School is a part of the deal, remember?"

"Why?"

"Because when I lived with Oliver…I didn't go to school. He kept me isolated from anyone who might've tried to help me get away from his abuse. Then when I was in Gotham…I wasn't technically supposed to be there, so I couldn't go to school. You never realize how much you love something as mundane and normal as school until you can't have it anymore. Until someone takes it from you and you can't have it back."

Connor didn't say anything for a few seconds as he kept shooting. "When I was younger people used to always make fun of me. How I looked. They called me…horrible, racist things. I ever had any friends and I never fit in anywhere. School has never been a place where I felt normal. It's just a place where my…uniqueness is on display for the world to see and ridicule."

'…Poor kid,' Roy thought as he watched Connor shoot. 'I know how it feels to be different than the people around you, but it was never that bad. Most of the kids on the reservation never seemed to think twice about the fact I wasn't Navajo.' Given what he'd been through though, it made sense Connor didn't like being in school. 'But he needs to go. He has to have an education and socialization. I want him to have as normal a life as possible. I won't be like Oliver. I won't.' He went back to working on his arrow. "Maybe here it'll be different."

"Maybe." Connor landed another bullseye. 'But probably not. I've never been normal and he can try to give me a normal life, but he'll only fail. Being a vigilante will only add to how not normal I am.'

It was quiet for a while as the two archers worked. Eventually, Roy took a break and watched Connor shoot for a few minutes. 'I meant what I said,' he thought. 'I'll let him stay until he's 18, even if he doesn't keep up with vigilante work.' Somehow, despite the similarities to Oliver and Roy's own reservations about the subject, part of him was attached to Connor. 'So far I don't have a great track record with people I'm close to. They're all either dead, abusive, or abandoned me in my grief.' He sighed and went back to his work. 'But maybe this time will be different. God, I hope this time will be different.'


	7. Uncharted Territory

A/N: Time for the first out of place holiday chapter of the story!

[November 2013]

The day before Thanksgiving, there was another bank robbery. Red Arrow dropped the would-be robber he'd stopped from breaking into an electronics store and ran toward his bike. "Ok, Connor," he said into his comm. "Where am I going?"

"Um… The bank is on 4th Street," Connor replied. "There are police already on the way."

"Ok." This was only Connor's second night on the comms, but he'd been handling it pretty well. The teen still had a long way to go as far as his computer skills went, but could handle talking to Red Arrow on the comms and finding locations on a virtual map of the city. "Good work."

"Thanks. Do you think it's the bank robbers with the laser weapons?"

"Hard to say." As he got closer he saw that there was smoke rising from the wall of the bank. "But current evidence suggests it might be."

"Well…be careful. Last time you fought them, they almost took off your arm."

"And it healed nicely." Not to mention he'd gotten closer than he'd ever been to catching them. If only one of them hadn't shot him when he'd tried to take them down with an electroshock arrow. "Alright, remember the plan?"

"I do."

"Can you handle your part?"

"I can."

"Good. Stand by. I'll let you know when they've left the bank."

"Ok."

Red Arrow stopped in a narrow alley, just big enough for his bike to fit in, a couple blocks from the bank. He took a deep breath as he settled in to wait. 'Guess their two-week vacation from bank robberies is over,' he thought. In the two weeks of no robberies, he'd hoped that the group was finished with their crazy crime spree. The two months of robberies had garnered attention from multiple people in the superhero community, including Kaldur, Barbara, Black Canary, and Artemis. The last one had been a surprise for Roy, considering how she and Wally had retired from the superhero life. 'And yet, none of the people asking if I'm doing ok and if I need help are Dick or Bruce.' Figured. Red Arrow had turned down all offered help, mostly to protect his ward. However, when the last meeting between the vigilante and the robbers had caused Connor to insist he be allowed to help more. Since he still wasn't skilled enough to be on the streets, Red Arrow had relented to allow him to follow the path of the robbers as they fled through traffic cameras.

'The technology stuff is still a challenge to him,' Red Arrow thought. 'But I've already got him hooked up to them. As long as he's quick enough when switching cameras, he should be able to follow them through the city.' It was a lot to ask of his still very new partner, but Red Arrow didn't see another way he could do this.

"They're leaving the bank," Connor said over the comms.

"Ok. Just tell me where to go."

"Um…right. They're heading down Voluve Ave."

"Great. Keep a close eye on them."

"Got it. They turned left onto White Street."

"I'm on them." Red Arrow followed the directions given to him, speeding down the streets away from from the bank.

"Uh oh…"

"What? What's happening?"

"I think they're going in multiple directions."

"Why do you say that?"

"Well two of them on motorcycles and a van went left down…8th Street while another van and two more motorcycles went right."

"…Damn it." Red Arrow shook his head. "They'll probably rendezvous somewhere. I'll go with the ones on 8th street. Follow them."

"Got it." It was quiet for a few seconds. "They're still heading down 8th."

"Ok. Keep me updated." Red Arrow amped up his speed, wanting to catch up with the robbers. 'These guys are smart. Too smart. I don't like it.' After a few blocks, he tapped his comm. "Where are they, Connor?"

"They turned right onto Bannor Street." There was a pause. "Are you sure they're goon to rendezvous? These guys aren't showing any signs of slowing down or turning. They're still basically heading in the opposite direction of their…friends."

"I'm not so much sure as I am just desperately hoping. Keep following them."

"Ok."

Red Arrow cut through a narrow side-street to catch up sooner. 'I need to find these guys. I want them off my streets and out of my city, now!' In addition to the general anxiety that now permeated the city, three police officers and been seriously injured in the last two months. 'I'm here to protect Star and I'm not going to let these guys get away with whatever they're trying to do.' Which so far seemed like it was just getting rich and terrorizing the city. Red Arrow finally turned onto 8th Street, then drove down it. There were no signs of the robbers for several minutes. "Connor, update?"

"They just turned again. They're still heading north, but now they're on 10th Street."

"Geez. Where the hell are they going?"

"I don't know, but at this rate, they'll-" Red Arrow stopped suddenly, nearly sending himself over his handlebars when he braked.

"…Red Arrow?" Connor asked cautiously. "According to the screen with your tracker, you stopped moving. Is everything ok?"

"Uh-huh…"

"So why aren't you following the robbers?! They're getting away!"

"Never mind. I'm heading back to base, I'll explain everything when I get back."

"Ok…"

Red Arrow turned around and headed back to his headquarters. 'I think this case just got a little more complicated.'

— —

When Roy returned to his Arrow Cave, he took his mask off as soon as he disembarked from his bike.

"What happened?" Connor asked as stood. "We were on them and you just let them leave?"

"Didn't you think their route was strange? Like, of all the places in the city they could've gone, they were heading toward an area where the population is thinner than downtown."

"But they didn't…"

"And what's north of Star?"

Connor bit his lip a little bit as he thought; staring at the wall as he did. "There's….a town, right?"

"What kind of town?"

"….beach town?"

"Yes. Exactly." Roy went over to the computers and sat down. He pulled up a map of the area and highlighted the area just north-west of Star City. "New Town Beach. Population just over 5,000."

"So they're hiding out in a beach town?"

"Some of them." Roy moved the map and highlighted the area south of Star. "West Branchon. Population just under 4,000."

"And it's another beach town, right?"

"You're catching on. I think the reason I haven't been able to track them down is they're hiding outside the city limits. Half the group south of Star and half the group north of Star."

"But why those places? It seems like they've specifically picked back towns. Why there?"

"I don't know. It seems like they want to be close to the water."

"To what end?"

"I don't know. But…" Roy spun around in his chair to give Connor a small smile. "We're much closer than we were before. And sometimes in cases like this, all you can do is take it one clue at a time."

"Right."

"Besides, tomorrow is Thanksgiving. Hopefully, even criminal masterminds can respect the holidays."

Connor shifted on his feet and glance at the ground. "Do- Do we have to…you know…celebrate Thanksgiving?"

"Do you not want to celebrate it?" Roy didn't get a response, so he leaned forward with his arms on his knees and clasped his hands together. "Connor?"

"…I just don't feel like it."

"Do you not like Thanksgiving?"

"It's not that it's just…" Connor rubbed his arms.

"What's wrong? You can…talk to me about it. Whatever it is, I'll listen." Roy got out of his chair to sit on the hard, cement floor. "Come sit." After a moment of gestation, Connor sat on the floor a few feet from him. "Tell me what's wrong."

"My mom…" Connor looked at the floor and started tracing random, invisible patterns on it with his finger. He sniffed as a tight feeling formed in his chest and his eyes started to burn. "Its…you know… She's only been…gone for a few months and now it's Thanksgiving. I've had you know…Thanksgiving without her when I was at the monastery and stuff…even though we didn't celebrate it, but I always knew she was ok. There always this chance we'd have another Thanksgiving together but…we won't!" Connor wiped at his eyes furiously, but the tears wouldn't stop coming. "We won't have any holidays or anything anymore-"

"Hey." Roy moved closer and put a cautious hand on Connor's back. "It's ok-"

"No, it's not! She's my mom and she's not even here anymore!"

"I meant… It's ok to be sad. I know the holidays can be hard when you've just lost a loved one." He rubbed his knee, trying to keep his hand from shaking. "If I'm being honest with you, I've been dreading Thanksgiving myself."

"Why?"

"…Jason… You know he was…Robin…" Roy swallowed and tried to push back against the grief that assaulted him. 'No, I'm the adult right now. Connor needs me.' He squeezed his knees again. "I can't stop thinking about how different everything was last year… I went back to Gotham for the week and I got to spend time with my brothers. We patrolled together, taught Jason how to play scrabble, watched movies. It was…" He stopped when his throat closed up. "And now the only family I have aren't even speaking to me."

"And you get to spend Thanksgiving with the son of the man who abused you…"

Roy looked at Connor. "Kid, you have to let go of that. I don't hold it against you like that, and you know it."

"But you still think about it sometimes, right?" Connor looked at Roy, his green eyes still glazed with tears. "I see the look on your face sometimes. When you look at me really quick, you glance back like you have to double-check that it's not him in your apartment."

"…I know. Look, I"m not going to pretend like those moments don't happen, but it's not…a conscious thing. I have post-traumatic stress disorder and some things just…remind me of Oliver. I can't control which things…but I am doing my best not to react to it." There was no response for a few seconds.

"….We're kind of a mess aren't we?"

Roy almost laughed but did snort a little. "No arguments there." He put his hand back on Connor's back. "But I think that's all the more reason to have a great Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow. We can watch the parade, play some board games if you want."

"…It doesn't sound horrible." Connor sniffed again and wiped his eyes. 'That actually sounds really nice. Kind of like how the other boys and I would read together on holidays at the monastery. He glanced at Roy. "Do you think we could…read a book together? I used to do that on holidays at the monastery. Me and the other boys would sit in a circle and we'd take turns reading from a book."

"And that was fun?"

"Yes."

"Then absolutely. so it's settled then, tomorrow we'll watch the parade, play board games, read a book, then have a delicious dinner."

"You remember I'm a vegetarian, right?"

"One step ahead of you, I got a turkey made of…I don't know what it's made of, to be honest, but the package assured me it's not meat." Roy almost smiled at the look Connor gave him. "So, how about it?"

"…Sounds good, I guess."

"Let's go then." Roy stood up, then held out his hand to help Connor up as well. The teen took it, then stood. "Looks like we have a lot of big plans tomorrow."

— —

On Thanksgiving morning, Connor was the first one up like he was every morning. Even though Roy was normally up relatively early in the mornings, it was still late for someone who was used to sunrise meditations. The teen went to one of the windows in the room and sat on the pillow he kept there. Something in him felt like it was really redundant to focus so hard on meditating, but given the tight feeling in his chest that had persisted since the previous night, he didn't think there was a better option. So he settled down on his pillow and placed his hands on his knees. Morning meditation was one of his favorite parts of the day. The calm it brought him made him feel like there was nothing he couldn't handle in the upcoming day; which felt particularly important given the day he was facing. Connor did his best to meditate away the grief and anger inside of him.

'Breathe…' he thought as he inhaled. '1, 2, 3, 4; exhale; 1, 2, 3, 4.'

The slow and steady mantra eventually edged out most of his feelings, leaving him with the feeling of calm. By the time he finished his meditation, all his feelings are more or less muted to the point he was able to ignore them as he got ready for the day. He quickly showered and got dressed, but froze when he saw the picture of him and his mom on top of the dresser. A bolt of pain went through his chest and he quickly shoved the picture down. As soon as he did it though he felt guilty. 'What kind of a son refuses to look at the picture of his dead mother?' he wondered as he pulled out his outfit for the day. 'I'm awful.' And yet he couldn't bring himself to fix the picture. It was too hard. So he quickly got dressed and decided to distract himself with the vacation homework he'd been given.

Connor was halfway through his science homework on the parts of a cell when there was a knock on the bedroom door.

"Connor?" Roy asked. "You awake?"

"Yeah." Connor twisted around his chair as the door opened.

Roy entered, fully dressed, and immediately confused when he saw what Connor was up to. "You're doing homework?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"…No reason."

Roy glanced at the dresser and noted the picture that was currently turned down. "Right. Well, the parade will be starting soon. Come on, I'll make us some breakfast smoothies."

"Ok." Connor abandoned his half-finished homework and followed Roy into the living room.

"Find the parade on tv and I'll make the smoothies."

"Ok."

Roy tried to keep on ear on what Connor was doing while he got the smoothies ready. 'Alfred wouldn't be happy if he knew I was just having a smoothie for breakfast on a holiday,' he thought. His teeth clenched a little and he tried to focus on what he was doing, rather than the way his eyes burned. 'If he wanted me to have a better breakfast, then maybe I should've been invited to Thanksgiving dinner.' If they were even having it. Roy glanced in the direction of his phone but didn't move to grab it. 'I shouldn't have to reach out to them. They're my family. They shut me out. They can call me first.' Roy finished the breakfast smoothies and carried them into the living room. 'And I have Connor.' As he approached Connor turned around and for a moment, Roy's heart stopped when he saw the green eyes and blonde hair. He came to a sudden stop, nearly spilling the drinks. A second later though, he forced himself to keep walking and breathing.

'Connor's not Oliver,' Roy thought as he set the teen's smoothie on the coffee table; deliberately keeping his eyes off him until his heart rate slowed down. 'He's not Ollie. Ollie's not here. He's on another planet. He can't hurt me. He won't ever hurt me again.' The words kept repeating in his head as he sat down on the armchair that was perpendicular to the couch. He didn't even look at the tv until he'd gotten his heart rate back to normal. 'Did he see me freak out for a second?' Roy glanced at Connor, but the teen didn't look at him. The tenseness of the muscles in his neck, like he was deliberately looking just at the tv, made Roy think he had seen. It made Roy want to clench his hands on his knees or grab at his pants. 'I don't want him to think I associate him with his father. I don't, but I can't control that my brain sees him and freaks out for a moment.' His heart started to race again. 'What do I say to him? I'm sorry my traumatized brain associated you with your murderous father?' It was already an explanation he'd given, so in the end, Roy decided to stay quiet and watch the parade.

The silence between the two of them dragged on. As it did though, Roy's heart kept pounding in his chest, despite him trying to keep it slow and calm. Thoughts about how he was horrible for associating Connor with Oliver and how it wasn't a good thing for Connor to think he was anything like his father kept bombarding Roy's mind.

"…Were you working on homework before?" Roy asked eventually, wanting to just stop the silence so his thoughts would stop. "It looked like it was on your desk." Connor simply nodded in response. "Do you…need any help with it?"

Connor bit his lip a little bit. "No," he said quietly. "I'm good."

"Ok. Well…if you need any help just let me know."

The two of them were silent as they watched the parade for the rest of the morning. When it finished, neither of them even moved for several seconds. Finally, Roy stood and picked up their empty glasses.

"I'm going to start our non-turkey-turkey, then we can do whatever you want."

"Ok." Connor watched him leave, then sat back in his seat. The pang of grief he'd been feeling off and on all morning returned and he pulled his knees up to his chest. 'Spending Thanksgiving with someone who clearly doesn't like me clearly won't help.' Logically, part of him remembered that Roy had PTSD and wasn't doing this on purpose, but it was hard to keep out the thoughts that it might be because of his relation to Oliver. Which was all he seemed to be able to think about sometimes. When students stared at him in school, part of his brain couldn't help but wonder if they saw the relation between him and the vigilante. 'Why did everything have to get so complicated. Why can't it all go back to being simple?'

Meanwhile, Roy tried to think of a way to salvage their Thanksgiving. 'He said yesterday that he wanted to read a book together. We could try that, see if it makes him feel more at ease.' And hopefully get Roy's mind off how abysmal the situation made him feel. 'Everything has been so weird and hard lately. God, I miss how easy things were a few years ago. Or even last year. Before it all got difficult.' Roy steeled himself, then nodded. 'I can do this. I'll make today into an enjoyable holiday for both of us.' Mind decided, Roy returned to the living room and almost stopped dead at the all to familiar state he found Connor in. "Connor."

"Yeah?" Connor asked. His head snapped up as he did.

"Do- You mentioned something about wanting to read a book together. Do you want to do that now?"

"…Sure."

"Good! Why don't you go pick a book for us?"

"Ok." Connor got up and disappeared in the direction of the two bedrooms.

'Good,' Roy thought as he started pacing a little bit, trying to counteract the increase of his heart rate. 'This is good. I can do this. It's not so bad. I don't have my family or friends, but I have Connor. I don't know him, but it'll be fine. It'll be fine. We're going to have a good Thanksgiving because I need it and I deserve it. It's not my fault Bruce and Dick abandoned me-'

"Roy?"

Roy stopped and turned around. He opened his mouth to get the activity started as quickly as possible, but as soon as he saw the title of the book in the teen's hand, his whole body froze. Peter Pan. Pain erupted in Roy's chest and a film of tears appeared almost instantly over his eyes. Though the pain, a burning surged through his veins and before he could think, Roy strode across the apartment and practically ripped the book from Connor's hands. "Where did you get this?!" he demanded.

"In- In the bedroom…" Connor replied, his voice confused. He took a few cautious steps back.

"Don't touch those books! They're not yours!" Roy's breathing sped up even more and he felt his arms starting to go numb. 'Air…' he thought as he struggled to inhale. 'I- I need air!' Barely paying any attention to Connor, he fled from the apartment, snatching his keys as he did.

— —

With panic overriding his brain, Roy couldn't really plan any route, so he acted on instinct and just let his body mechanically guide him. Which is how he found himself standing in his Arrow Cave a few minutes later. The hyperventilating continued to worsen as his legs shook; as if unable to handle the strain of holding him up. Shaking and terror took over Roy as he collapsed onto his hands. All of his ground techniques slipped just past his awareness, like sand through his fingers, leaving him unable to calm down. The numb feeling from earlier spread even farther until it reached his fingers and started down his legs. A burning feeling spread through his lungs. Through the panic though, through the walls of numbness and panic, there was something else. Something solid on his back, and something cold on his arm. Not extremely cold, but cool. Refreshing. Like jumping into the ocean on a hot day. Roy zeroed in on both sensations. 'Calm… Calm…' It was only then he realized someone was talking.

"Listen to me, Roy," the voice said. "Stay focused on me. You're here. You're safe. Very safe. I am here with you."

'Who-' Roy thought as he continued to focus on the voice and the hands resting on his body. 'Who-'

"Just listen to my voice, my love. You are safe and I am here. It is safe."

'Kal!' The realization sent a small bolt of calm through Roy and he was able to draw in a small breath. 'It- It's Kal. Focus- Focus on Kal.' He closed his eyes and kept trying to breathe, listening to the calming sound of Kaldur's voice. 'Grounding. I need to ground myself.' Roy forced his eyes back open. 'Five things I can see… Kal's arm. The floor. The b-book. Bottom of the chair. Legs of a table. Four things I can touch: the floor; Kal; the cover of the book; the pages in the book. Three things I can hear: Kal's voice; Kal's breathing; beeping from a computer?' Roy continued to breathe as he walked himself through the exercise. 'Two things I can smell: the sea on Kal and sweat. One thing I can taste: sweat. There's sweat in my mouth.' Roy took a few slow and deep breaths before he sat back on his heels and gave Kaldur an innocent look. "Hey…"

"Hey yourself," Kaldur replied, his face etched with worry. His eyes strayed over Roy's face, taking in every detail to figure out if Roy was ok. "Are you-"

"I'm f-" The word caught in Roy's throat and he almost choked.

"Breathe, Roy. Breathe."

"How did you find me?"

"I have texted you several times, but you did not answer. Given what has been happening recently, I was worried and decided to check on you." He held up the small device Roy had given him that allowed him to bypass the security on the archer's headquarters. "And I see it is a good thing I did."

"Yeah… It is…" Roy glanced down at the book on the ground and closed his eyes. He bit his lip as tears squeezed past his eyelids, then down his cheeks.

"Roy. Roy." Kadlur reached out and gently turned his boyfriend's face toward himself. "My heart. What is wrong? Please."

Roy shook his head as his tears turned into sobs and he practically threw himself into Kaldur's arms. "Kal!" he cried.

"My love…please talk to me." Kaldur pulled Roy into his lap and let the archer press his face into the crook of his neck. "Shh… It's ok, It's ok, my heart. No harm will come to you here. Just talk to me."

"It's so hard, Kal! So hard!"

"What's hard?"

"Everything! It's Thanksgiving and I'm not talking to Dick or Bruce! And I have Connor and I really don't know what I'm doing-"

"Connor?" Kaldur frowned as he stroked Roy's back gently with his fingertips. "Who is Connor?"

"Ollie's son…"

"…Son?" Confusion and worry clouded Kaldur's mind, but he pushed it away to keep holding Roy.

"Yeah. He- I kind of found him and now he's living with me! I'm training him and everything Kal, it's all just so much!"

"Ok, ok." Kaldur wrapped his arms tighter around Roy. "I know it is overwhelming, but I am here now. You do not have to shoulder your burdens alone." He waited a few seconds while Roy moved his face into the Atlantean's shoulder. "Let us walk through everything. I take it by your words that you still haven't spoken to your brother or to Batman. You should know Nightwing uses the computer at Mount Justice to keep track of the news in Star. Especially since banks started blowing up. I know your combined grief as made your relationship with both of them strained, but they still care about you. Even if they do not show it."

"They should show it."

"I agree. But you must know how they feel. Maybe it will not make this holiday easier, but you deserve to know the facts. As for Connor… I will assume he is nothing like his father if you can stand to be around him."

"I try… I look at him and my brain just flips out! I'm associating this innocent 13-year-old with the man who abused me, what kind of person does that?! Who pushes that kind of association on an innocent kid! And it makes things awkward and even weirder between us than they already were. I don't know what I was thinking, believing I could take care of him!"

"Roy, how long has Connor been with you?"

"I don't know…two months?"

"While I have never had a protege of my own, I am to understand having one for the first time requires a learning curve. Just because you are bad at it right now, does not mean you will not learn and become better."

"Think so?"

"Of course. You are smart and an extremely capable vigilante. You will be a great mentor. Just give it some time." Kaldur kept rubbing Roy's back as the archer slowly calmed down even more. "I have absolute faith in you, my love. You can do anything."

"Thank you. You're the best."

"You deserve nothing less."

Roy smiled a little, then pulled his face out of his boyfriend's shoulder. "I'm so happy you're here. I've missed you."

"I have missed you as well."

Roy leaned in and kissed Kaldur deeply for a few seconds. "We could always…catch up." He started sliding his hand toward's the Atlantean's waist.

"Hmm…" Kaldur returns the kiss for a few seconds. "As much as I would enjoy that, very, very much, I do not think it would be wise to do this on the floor of your headquarters where you regularly spend time with your new protege."

Roy sighed low, then kissed Kaldur again. "You're right. I really wish we could though. Its been a while."

"I know. We should consider that a disadvantage to our hero lives."

"Probably."

Kaldur saw the book on the ground behind Roy, then started stroking his back again. "Why do you have that book?"

"Oh… It- It was Jay's and…Connor wanted to read it."

"And you did not want him to?"

"I don't know. I think it was just…everything else too. You know?"

"I do." Kaldur kissed his forehead. "You are doing fine. Just keep working on it and it will get better."

"I hope so." Roy leaned his head on Kadlur's shoulder. "I just want to stay here with you."

"As do I. But you have a protege to get back to and fix things with."

"Guess so." As much as Roy wanted to stay here, in the arms of his boyfriend where it was safe and calming, he knew he needed to go back and make things better between him and Connor. "Promise you'll come back soon?"

"I promise."

"Good. And…can you maybe not tell anyone about Connor? He's a good kid, but he's still Oliver's son and I'm afraid how people will react."

"That is…not a bad idea. You have my word, of course, my love."

"Thank you." Roy kissed him again. "Shijéí bóhodínínil."

"…I don't know what you said, but it sounded very romantic."

"It was." Roy spent another minute kissing Kaldur before he reluctantly pulled away and stood up. "I love you."

"I love you too. I will always love you."

"Forever?"

Kaldur smiled and leaned in for another kiss. "Forever."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

The words made a warmth settle in his chest. "Good."

— —

When Roy returned to the apartment, Peter Pan in hand, he didn't immediately see Connor. On instinct, he went to the teen's bedroom and knocked on the door. "Connor?" he asked. "Are you there?"

"Yeah…" came the hesitant reply after a few moments.

Roy opened the door to find the teen sitting at the desk. "Hey, kid."

"Hi…"

There was an awkward silence for a few seconds. Roy moved forward and looked over Connor's shoulder. "What're you doing?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing, huh?" Roy studied the notebook and almost smiled. "It looks like you're designing a suit."

"…Maybe."

"It looks good. Have you been thinking about a name?"

"Kind of."

There was more silence, so Roy crouched down next to the teen. "Connor-"

"I'm sorry."

"I- Wait, why are you sorry?"

"I don't know. Whatever- Whatever I did. Whatever made you freak out."

Roy swallowed. "It wasn't your fault-"

"You don't have to do that."

"Do what?"

"Try to make this better. You don't like or want me here. I understand. We don't have to be anything more than partners. It's ok."

"Connor-"

"Can I be alone please?"

"Sure. I'll go…work on dinner." Roy didn't get a response, so he left the room. When the door shut behind him, he leaned against it and rubbed his face. 'What a fun holiday this has been. I completely messed things up with Connor and broke down and had a panic attack. I can't remember the last time I had a Thanksgiving this horrible.' Part of him thought it was his first holiday after Brave Bow died. 'This grief and loneliness feels horribly familiar.' Which is probably how Connor felt about losing his mom. 'I know how he feels, but I don't know who to…tell him that. He has all these walls and he's so distant. I appreciate that Kal has so much faith in me but I really don't know what I'm doing. God, I really wish Bruce were talking to me. Then I could ask him for advice.' But it looked like Roy was on his own. 'I'm in such uncharted territory here, it's not even funny. What am I going to do?'

A/N: *Shijéí bóhodínínil: you set my heart on fire. Translation courtesy of daybreakwarrior's video on Youtube. Let me know what you think!


	8. Peaceful Holidays

A/N: Ok, a couple of notes here.

1\. I'm not Buddhist, so all the information presented here is from my own research. I apologize in advance if I got anything egregiously wrong.

2\. There are some implied sexual activities/themes at the end of the chapter.

Enjoy and let me know what you think!

[December 2013]

The first thing Connor noticed when he walked into the apartment after school was the tree in the corner of the living room. 'Right. It's December.' With his training and trying to avoid the awkward silences with Roy, he hadn't been paying close attention to the date. Out of curiosity, he looked at the calendar. It was December 7th. Something inside of him suddenly longed to be back in the monastery. 'I bet they've been handing out bread to the homeless all week. And meditations have increased. They don't have school either.' It didn't seem fair the only place he'd been afforded a week off of school for the holiday week had been at the monastery. 'But this school will give us two weeks for a holiday I haven't celebrated in years. Figures.' It may have been the holiday season, but Connor felt as lonely and dressed as ever.

"You're home," Roy said in surprise when he poked his head out of the kitchen. "Come here, I have something to show you."

'I hope this is quick. I want to go meditate before we train tonight.' Connor walked into the kitchen and stopped suddenly in the doorway. There was a small potted fig tree on the table, as well as a small string of multi-colored lights; as well as what looked like ingredients for cookies, tea, and rice. "What's going on?"

"Well… I was looking at the calendar and it said that tomorrow was Bodhi Day," Roy explained. "It kind of sounded like a…Buddhist thing, so I looked into it and…it's a Buddhist holiday." His voice trailed off, but Connor just kept staring silently at him. "I thought since you're Buddhist you'd probably want to celebrate it."

"I- I do."

"I did some research on how to celebrate it. I got a fig tree and lights to decorate it. Some ingredients to make cookies and tea. I wasn't sure which of the traditions you observed, so I just…got everything."

"You really want to celebrate it with me?"

"Of course. It's an important holiday for you, so I want to celebrate with you."

Connor set his backpack down, then studied the items on the table for a little bit. He eventually nodded. "Rōhatsu."

"What?"

"Rōhatsu. It's what we call Bodhi Day in the Zen sect of Buddhism."

"Rōhatsu. What is it for?"

"It's a celebration of when the Buddha became Enlightened."

"I see. So, how do we celebrate? You lead the way."

"Ok." Connor approached the table, then smiled a little as he gently stroked a leaf on the fig tree. "First we should decorate the tree with the lights, then we can make leaf-shaped cookies. Typically, I would meditate all through the night from the 7th into the 8th. And on the 8th have a traditional meal of rice and milk."

"Why rice and milk?"

"It was the first meal the Buddha had after he became Enlightened."

"I see. Well if you're planning on meditating all night, then I should probably call you out of school tomorrow."

"You'd do that?"

"Of course. You can't go to school on no sleep. Plus, other kids celebrating Christmas get to have their holiday off, you deserve to have yours off too."

"…Thanks." Connor picked up the fig tree and carried it to the living room. Behind him, Roy carried the string of lights for them to decorate the small tree with.

"Did you do this at the monastery?"

"Sometimes. We didn't do it every year, but it was always a nice surprise when we did." Once Connor set the tree down, he took the lights and started wrapping them around it. "Cookies after this?"

"Absolutely."

Connor stopped as something occurred to him. "Is my…meditating going to interfere with training tonight?" He'd come so far in the last few weeks, especially in his archery. As important as Rōhatsu was, part of him didn't want to risk a setback in his training.

"I think we can take a break tonight. It's a holiday after all."

"Ok. Cool." Connor finished wrapping the lights around the tree, then turned them on. "Now that we finished, let's go make cookies." He smiled as he led Roy back to the kitchen. "We'd spend all week making fig leaf cookies at the monastery. We'd go into town with the monks and pass them out with small loaves of bread to the homeless."

"That sounds really nice."

"Giving to others and being generous are important tenements of Buddhism. Especially this time of year."

'This is the most he's ever told me about his time at the monastery,' Roy thought as he followed the teen. 'I should probably tread carefully. I don't want to scare him off.'

"Can we have tea and the cookies tonight after dinner?"

"I'd enjoy that. Do you know the recipe for these cookies?"

"I do. Can you start mixing the wet ingredients and I'll do the dry ones?" Connor froze for a minute. "I mean— If that's ok with you."

"Of course. You're the expert here, I'll follow your lead."

"Ok." Connor started mixing the dry ingredients together in a bowl. 'It's not really the same as it was at the monastery, but it's ok.'

It was silent between the two of them as they baked. However, this silence was different from the other silences that had descended on the apartment in recent weeks. It wasn't strained or awkward. Neither Roy or Connor felt the need to fill it. They didn't talk until the cookies had been mixed, shaped, and placed in the oven to bake.

"Ok," Roy nodded. "That was fun. So, what do we do next?"

"Uh…there's not a lot of we can do until the cookies are done. I'm going to work on my homework so I don't have to worry about it tomorrow."

"Go for it. I'll clean this up and probably start dinner in a bit. I was thinking we can have vegetarian tacos."

"Sounds good. And rice and milk tomorrow?"

"Of course." Roy turned around and started cleaning up the cookies. He figured Connor would retreat to his bedroom to do his homework, like usual, so he was shocked when he turned around and the teen was still there. Connor was sitting at the kitchen table, his English workbook open in front of him. For a moment Roy watched him, then quickly went back to his cleaning. The timer for the cookies went off just as he finished wiping down the counters. Roy pulled them out of the oven and was hit with the soft, warm smell of fresh cookies. It gave him the same thrill that the smell of sweets always did. 'I'll always love having free access to sweets.' He glanced back at Connor. "How's the homework coming?"

"It's good." Connor put his workbook away, then pulled out his history homework. "I- I got an A on my science test on Monday."

"You did? That's awesome! Great job!"

"Thanks."

Roy smiled a little as he turned away. 'Wow, an A. He's a bright kid.' Not that Roy'd had any doubts about Connor's intelligence. "I'm going to start dinner."

"Ok."

The comfortable silence continued between the two as Roy made dinner. Something inside of Roy was lighter as he cooked. The heaviness that had been pulling on him for the past few weeks was dissipated. 'This is nice. I like it.' He kept glancing back at Connor while he cooked, but the teen didn't leave the kitchen. He stayed at the table and completed his homework. He was putting his finished pairs back in his backpack when Roy was putting the plates on the table.

"It looks good," Connor said as Roy sat with him.

"Thanks. It's a new recipe."

It was quiet for a few minutes as they ate before Connor spoke again. "I really appreciate all this. You know, celebrating Rōhatsu. It- It means a lot to me. Buddhism got me through a lot of rough stuff and helped me work through a lot." He took a bite of a taco. "I really miss the monastery."

"I'm sure. I know how you feel though. I felt the same way when I have to leave the Navajo reservation when I was 12."

'He does get it,' Connor realized as he ate a taco. 'Roy understands how hard it is to be away from a place that feels like home.' He was quiet for a moment. "What do you do to…you know…not feel so sad about it?"

"Well…I guess felt less sad when- I was in Gotham."

"Oh…"

It was silent again as they finished eating. When he was done, Connor put his plate in the sink and started to wash it, but Roy stopped him. "Go ahead and start your meditation."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course. Go ahead."

"Ok. Thanks."

"Would you mind if I joined you?"

"You want to meditate with me?"

"I don't know if I could do it all night like you, but I'd like to join you for a little while."

"And you know how to meditate?"

"I do. It's one of the relaxation techniques I learned to help me cope with my PTSD."

"Oh. Well, sure. I think it'd be great you wanted to meditate with me."

"Great. I'll join you in a few minutes."

"Ok." Connor went to his bedroom and grabbed his pillow from by the window. He moved it to a spot by the wall, then grabbed another pillow for Roy. 'This will be fun. It's nice to meditate with others and I haven't been able to do that since I left the monastery.' He glanced out the window. The sun had just about set, with just a glimmer of pink on the horizon. 'I don't know if I'll be able to meditate all night, but I at least want to make it until 2 am.' After all, it had been the time he'd been shooting for the previous year the monastery. 'And Roy said I didn't have to go to school tomorrow. So I don't have to get up early either.' Connor settled on the pillow in a meditative position and took a deep, steadying breath. As he exhaled, he closed his eyes and continued breathing.

Easing into a meditative state of mind, a place where everything melted away except for his breathing, came to Connor without issue. The calm that settled over him, relaxing his muscles and clearing his mind, was familiar. It almost felt like becoming another person; like stepping into another world. A world where all the answers were easy and no difficult emotions to process. No anger, grief, or disgust. No horrific, parental legacies to grapple with. When he meditated, there was nothing but him. Just him. When it was just him alone, Connor felt like he was at his most authentic. No expectations or judgments. Just Connor as he was. Connor was so into his meditation, that he hardly registered Roy entering the room and joining him.

The two meditated side-by-side for several hours. Around 10 pm, after a little over three hours, Roy had to give up. He couldn't keep up the concentration required and was ready for a good night's sleep. When he stood and looked back at Connor, the sight of the teen caused him to pause. Connor was silent and still— not even his chest moved with his inhaling and exhaling. There was something so…serene and peaceful about it. For someone who'd been so guarded around him lately, Roy was suddenly faced with what seemed like a different Connor. There was something almost vulnerable about it. It gave Roy the distinct feeling this was the Connor hidden behind the teen's walls. The apparent sincerity of the moment pushed Roy to exit as silently as possible, not wanting to disturb the teen. 'I really should try meditating with him more often.'

— —

When Roy woke up the next morning, the first thing he did was check on Connor. The teen was fast sleep, despite it being almost 9:30 AM. 'It makes sense he'd be sleeping in since he was up so late meditating last night,' Roy thought as he entered the bedroom. As careful as possible, he fixed the blanket that had slipped from Connor's frame. 'He can sleep as late as he wants. It is a holiday after all.' As soon as Roy left, he called Connor out of school for the day, then made breakfast. Cooking the rice was simple enough, and Roy considered making a rice pudding for later in the day to eat with their cookies. By the time breakfast was ready, Connor was awake and made his way into the kitchen.

"Blessed Rōhatsu," Connor greeted as he sat at the table.

"Blessed Rōhatsu," Roy replied as he placed a bowl of white rice in front of him. "How was your meditation?"

"It was good. Peaceful."

"I'm glad."

"I really wish I could go the whole night. I just don't have the stamina for it. The monks were able to meditate for the entire night and go on to the celebrations the next day."

"What're your celebrations for today?"

"More meditation. There are some sutras I'm going to read, but this afternoon I want to have cookies and tea. Do- Do you want to join me for that?"

"Sure. I'd love to. I'll be in the living room going over some cases if you need me."

"Ok."

Once they finished breakfast, Roy took care of the dishes and grabbed some files to work on. In the past week, he'd been hired to track down a missing brother and was still in the thick of his investigation into the bank robbers. They'd continued to hit banks all over the city, however, they seemed to have slowed down. He'd narrowed down their location to a couple of seaside towns just north and south of Star City. Unfortunately, even with the DNA, he'd collected, there was still no identification for his robbers. Roy leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. 'They've already put five police officers in the hospital and given me second-degree burns. I can't let this continue. There has to be something I missed.'

Roy spent the entire morning going through the file. He scanned every piece of evidence with a fine-tooth comb, but nothing stood out. There were no new conclusions eh could draw, except that the robbers were clearly out-of-their-minds-intelligent. 'Which is always the most annoying combination,' he thought around noon as he stood and stretched. 'I'll check on Connor and see if he's hungry.'

There was no reply when he knocked on Connor's bedroom door, but got no reply. "Connor?" he asked after a moment. There was no reply again, so he opened the door as silently as possible. Inside, Connor was sitting on the floor meditating. "Sorry…" Roy whispered as he shut the door even more silently than he had opened it. 'If he's hungry he'll come to find food.' With that thought in mind, Roy made himself a sandwich, then returned to his files. He went through all the evidence for a second time that day, looking for something, anything— a pattern to point him in the direction he needed. 'If only I could ask Bruce or Dick for help.' His eyes flickered toward his phone, but he didn't move toward it. With Christmas fast approaching, the ache of being separated from his family had slowly been cursing him; like a stone sitting on his chest that grew day by day as the calendar inched closer to another major holiday. 'It's not like I could really go to Gotham anyway. I can't leave Connor in Star by himself.

'But it's not that I need to be in the city. Just…the option would be nice. For Dick to constantly be texting me the "improvements" he's making to the English language and Bruce to check in once in a while.' Part of him was surprised the only ones to check in with him were Kal and Barbara with how publicized the bank robberies had been. Then again, the last time he'd seen Dick, the younger man had taken a swing at him and screamed at him; and Bruce had simply watched with an impassive glare, so in that context, it wasn't all that surprising. 'I need them though. Dinah would always say that having a loving support system was an important part of overcoming my trauma. What if I start to regress and my symptoms start coming back?' His hands started to shake and Roy had to put his elbows on his knees and hold his head to steady them. 'I'm already having more anxiety and panic attacks in the last two months than I had int he last year.' He shook his head. 'I can't do this without them. I've never done this without them. I don't think I can. I can't. I just can't-'

"Roy?" A hand settled on Roy's shoulder and he jumped.

In an instant, he was on his feet and he spun around, with his hands half-formed into fists, ready to defend himself, to find Connor standing behind the couch, a concerned look on his face.

"Are you ok?" Connor asked. "I didn't mean to scare you but you were breathing really fast and it kind of looked like you were going to pull your hair out."

Roy swallowed and pulled his arms closer to his body. He forced a slow and deep breath into his lungs, which did little to calm the frayed edges to every nerve in his body.

He couldn't do this without Dick and Bruce.

But he had to.

There wasn't another option. Bruce was too cold and harsh with criminals for Roy to be around and Dick was unfairly blaming Roy for Jason's death, and neither of them even made an attempt to talk to him. Under the uncertainty of feeling like he couldn't do this alone, Roy understood that he had to get through it. 'I have Connor now.' Regardless of who his father was, regardless of how the teen had forced Roy to let him stay…he was there. Roy was training Connor to be his sidekick. Preparing to have a partner for the first time in his career as a full-fledged, solo hero. Maybe he couldn't do this alone, but he didn't have a choice. He needed to find a way to make it work.

"I'm fine," Roy replied, his voice a little shaky. "Did I disrupt your meditating?"

Connor shook his head. "I've already been meditating for most of the day, so I thought maybe it'd be a good time for us to have tea and the cookies?"

'Most of the day…?' Roy glanced at the clock and blinked in surprise. 'Oh wow, it's almost 3:30.' He'd been going through the files the whole day. "Yeah, I could use some cookies."

"Alright. I'll make the tea."

"I can do it-"

"No! Let me do it. U-Usually…at the monastery, the other novices and I would make tea for the monks on Rōhatsu."

"Ok. Go for it then." When Connor left to make the tea, Roy sat back down on the couch and cleaned up his file. 'I should probably put it away for the rest of the day.' While he was putting it in the hidden compartment of his work bag though, another file caught his eye. It wasn't a normal work file, it didn't have one of the rainbow tabs he used to organize them, it was plain and unmarked. Roy took the file from the bag and opened it. As it did every time, the picture of him from his social services file, age 12, caused his breath to catch in his throat. It'd been three months, but he still had no answers about the detective's file. With the truth out, there weren't a lot of options left for him. 'I don't know what to do. Detective Rodgerson seems like a nice enough guy. I really should give him some kind of response on this.' It kind of surprised him the detective hadn't come looking for an answer…but then again he'd been pretty busy with the bank robberies.

Connor returned with two cups of tea and a plate of cookies balanced in his arms. "Did you want milk or sugar in your tea? I like mine black."

"Black is fine." Roy put the file away, then stowed his bag on the end of the couch. He accepted the cup and took a sip. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Connor sat down on the other end of the couch.

'He's not sitting in the armchair?' Roy wondered as he reached for a fig leaf cookie. He didn't say anything in case it caused the teen to move, but the gesture was nice. "Did you have a…good meditation session?"

"I did. It was calming."

"Are you used to meditating for most of the day?"

"Kind of. We were always trying to improve our focus and stamina for meditation, but we always had a lot of chores to do too."

"Chores?"

"Yeah. We had to work the garden where our food was grown, do laundry, clean the monastery, cook. And that was on top of schoolwork, Buddhist studies, and learning Aikido."

"Wow. I never expected the life of a mink to be so…busy."

"It was busy, but not the mindless busy you'd find in the world at large. Everything we did had a purpose. We worked in the garden because we needed food to eat and sell for the food we didn't have. We cooked because we needed to eat. We cleaned and did the laundry because it was necessary. Same with schoolwork. We were required to have some kind of basic education. Everything we did had a purpose. Nothing was spent on something that didn't matter."

"Even Aikido?"

"Aikido was part of our turning as monks. Learning it was a way for us to learn about our bodies and connect spiritually."

"I see." Roy took another sip of his tea. 'This is the most he's ever shared with me.' It was nice to see Connor so open and relaxed for a little while. "Are you going to meditate again tonight?"

"Yes, but before I do, I'm going to read Sutras."

"Sutras?"

"Writings of the Buddha."

"Ah, I see. Well, would it be ok if I joined you again tonight for meditation?"

Connor shook his head. "I don't mind it. It's nice to meditate with someone else; even if you're not Buddhist."

"I'm glad."

There was a moment of silence where Connor stared at his tea before he spoke again. "Um…since you celebrated Rōhatsu with me, I want to celebrate Christmas with you."

Roy looked up as he reached for another cookie. "What?"

"I thought it'd be fair."

"Connor…you don't have to celebrate Christmas if you don't want to. I won't force you to."

"I know but…it's an important holiday to you, right?"

"I mean…yeah. It's always been a time to be with family and friends." When he was growing up on the reservation, it'd meant a large dinner with Brave Bow and his many friends and extended family. In Gotham, it had been a day of relaxing and movies with his newer family. Even with Oliver, Christmas had been one of the good days where Roy had been all to convict himself the man's charisma and gifts made up for the constant abuse and neglect. The holiday held a special place in his heart.

Connor nodded. "And Rōhatsu is important to me. We celebrated my important holiday, so next, we'll celebrate yours. I want to, Roy."

"Why?"

"Because…you gave me a chance. Most- Most people probably wouldn't have given me a second glance after finding out who my dad was. But you took me in, despite all he did to you."

Roy resisted the urge to sigh. "Connor, I've told you, nothing that Oliver did is on you. You shouldn't worry about it. And you don't owe me for giving you chance. It's what any reasonable person would've done."

"It's in the spirit of Buddhism and Rōhatsu to do good things for others." Especially for those, you cared about, but Connor couldn't bring himself to add that part. "I really want to celebrate Christmas with you, Roy. However, you celebrate it."

"Well…I guess I'll have to find a meatless alternative to a Christmas ham. Maybe a nice eggplant."

"I like eggplant."

"Good. I guess you'll need a stocking too."

"What do you usually do on Christmas?"

"Normal stuff. Open presents and watch Christmas movies."

Connor glanced down. "Do- Do you think we could watch Yes Virginia, There Is A Santa Clause? It- It was my mom's favorite movie. She'd make me watch it every year."

Roy smiled a small, sad smile. "Of course."

"Good. I- I think she'd like it if we did. You know…in her memory."

"I could never so no to a proposal like that."

"Thanks." Connor quickly wiped his eyes with the edge of his sleeve and Roy pretended not to notice while he grabbed another cookie.

They lasted back into silence as they finished their tea and cookies, but it was a comfortable silence. When Connor finished his tea, he silently retreated to his room to read his Sutras. He sat on the floor near his window, seeking the warm light of the late afternoon sun. 'It's kind of weird sharing so much with Roy,' he thought as he opened the book in his lap. 'But it was…nice. He's a nice person and…it'd be great not to feel so sad and lonely all the time.' Even meditation could only do so much to calm him down and stabilize his mood. 'He even went to the trouble of trying to make sure we could celebrate Rōhatsu, even if he didn't completely understand how.' The gesture still gave him a warm and fuzzy feeling in his chest. 'Maybe I can get used to living here.'

While Connor was in his room, Roy cleaned the apartment, then policed the wooden bow Bruce had given him. As he cleaned, he thought about what kinds of things he wanted to do with Connor at Christmas. 'Movies are a must. Stockings too. I even have the perfect gift to give him.' By the time he was finished, most of his yuletide festivities had been planned and he was thoroughly more excited about the approaching holiday than he had 10 hours prior. Connor emerged from his bedroom again, so the two of them enjoyed another meal of rice and milk. Throughout the meal, Connor talked intermittently about living at the monastery and the various chores he'd done there.

'I think I need to give him more responsibility,' Roy thought when the meal was finished and Connor had finished talking about summers spent weeding the vegetable garden they'd had at the monastery. 'I thought I was being nice by going him so much free time, but I think he'd feel more at home with things to do. He's clearly not used to being idle.' Chores mixed with vigilante training and homework might given Connor the sense of purpose he clearly craved in his life. 'Anything to make him as relaxed as he's been today.'

After dinner, the two meditated again until midnight. This time, however, they did in the living room after pushing the coffee table out of the way. It was calm and silent between them; with neither of the two feeling, they needed to justify being near each other. By the time it was midnight, it was the calmest and least tense as it had been since Connor had come to live with Roy; and neither of them minded.

— —

Unfortunately, Roy and Connor had to leave their small bubble of peace for the real world. While they'd had to go back to their usual lives, there was a noticeable change in their relationship. Connor stopped immediately retreating to his bedroom when he came home from school, and instead worked on it in the living room. He even stayed after Roy returned from work. Roy also started giving Connor more chores by asking him to do the dishes every other night and getting the teen to help him cook. The cooking chore was proving to be extremely useful, as Connor was relaxed and more willing to talk about his school day when he was cooking. It wasn't a huge leap forward, but even the small improvement was a nice change of pace.

It put Roy in a great mood as Christmas got closer. Eventually, he erected a small Christmas tree in the living room next to the Rōhatsu fig tree. It was a nice display in his opinion. Preparing for the holiday and finishing Connor's present on top of his normal responsibilities were tiring, but also kind of invigorating. At the very least it distracted Roy from the fact that he still hadn't heard from Bruce or Dick.

By Christmas Eve, Roy had everything set and couldn't wait to give Connor his present. They spent the night making gingerbread houses and Roy presented Connor with a stocking to hang.

"Are you excited for tomorrow?" Roy asked.

"I am," Connor nodded as he hung up his stocking. "It's been years since I celebrated Christmas. Plus I don't have school for two and a half weeks, so that's also something to look forward to."

Roy smiled at him. "Tomorrow will be great. I promise."

— —

On Christmas morning, Roy found Connor mediating in his bedroom. He retreated to the living room to wait for the teen to venture out. When he did, Roy smiled from the couch. "Merry Christmas," he said.

"Merry Christmas," Connor replied. He sat on the other end of the couch and glanced at the tree.

"The presents under there are for you. It's just a couple of things because I have a…big present but you won't get it unit later."

"A big present?"

"Mhm. Not until tonight though. You'll just have to open the small ones for now."

"That's fine." Connor retrieved the five gifts from under the tree, as well as a smaller present wrapped in cheap, shiny paper from the back of the tree. "This one is for you."

"Aww, thanks."

Connor opened his presents to find a couple of books and some new clothes. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Roy opened the present Connor had given him. It was a small, wooden bow (about six inches in length) and three arrows in a small box with a glass lid. Like a shadow box.

"We had to make something in woodshop class. These were the only stencils I liked and… I didn't know what else to do with them. I even made the box and super-glued the glass to the lid."

"It's great. I love it."

"Really?"

"Yes. Do you like your presents?"

"I do. I needed a new sweater."

"I noticed." Roy glanced at the clock. "Ok. I'll make us some breakfast, then we can start in on some movies."

"I'm gonna go get dressed." Connor retreated to his bedroom to put on the new outfit Roy had gotten him. He looked at himself in the full-length mirror in the bedroom. The dark blue jeans, a dark green collared, short-sleeve shirt, and a matching sweater. 'I'm glad Roy's gotten over my favorite color being green.' He returned to the living room to find Roy had made them eggs, toast, and some kind of thin meat?

"It's tofu bacon," Roy said to the confused look Connor gave him. "Sort of. I sliced up the tofu into thin strips like bacon and then fried it. Go ahead, give it a try."

Connor sat down and picked up a piece of the tofu bacon. He took a cautious bite and immediately schooled his face to keep his disgust from showing. 'I had no idea you could do something this gross to tofu.' And judging by the look on Roy's face, the man was actually enjoying it. "Mmm…"

"You like it?"

"It's…different."

Roy took another bite. "Very…different."

Connor raised his eyebrows at the tone. "Different?"

"You know, it doesn't have the same texture or…taste as regular bacon."

"That taste being good?"

Roy snorted, just barely able to keep himself from laughing. "Yeah, like being good. You don't have to eat it."

"Best present so far today." Connor took a sip of his hot chocolate. "So, movies?"

"Absolutely."

Christmas morning passed quickly with Roy and Connor watching movies. By noon, Roy was making a small snack to hold them over until dinner when his phone started ringing.

"Hello?" he answered.

"Good afternoon, Master Roy," Alfred replied.

"Hey, Alfred. Merry Christmas."

"And to you. How are you faring today?"

"I'm doing alright. How're Bruce and Dick?"

"Master Bruce has barely come upstairs all day and Master Dick insisted he was too busy in Blüdhaven to come home. I assume the same is true for you in Star?"

"Uh…" Roy glanced back toward the living room. "Yeah. You can say that."

"I see. Well, I thought it a good idea to at least call."

"I'm glad you did. I miss you."

"And I miss you, sir. Perhaps you shall come and visit soon?"

"I want to but…it'd be nice if Dick or Bruce would talk to me."

"Believe me, sir, I have brought it up once or twice."

"Just one or twice?"

"A day, sir."

"That's more like it. Uh…I have to go, Alfred. Thanks for calling."

"Of course, sir. Please call in return."

"I'll do my best."

"Thank you, Master Roy. I know Master Bruce and your brother have been…difficult, but they both love you very much and we are all here for you."

"…Thanks, Alf. Bye."

"Happy Holidays, sir."

Roy put his phone away and carried the plate of cheese and crackers into the living room. His chest ached a little as he re-joined Connor. "Ready for the next movie?" he asked, eager to expel the feeling.

"Absolutely," Connor replied. He noticed the slightly upset look on Roy's face and decided not to say anything. 'If Roy's upset he'd probably tell me. I don't want to pry.'

Around mid-afternoon, Roy started their Christmas dinner, complete with a non-meat turkey and plenty of vegetables. He let Connor help and the teen enthusiastically cut up the vegetables and suggested ways to cook them. In the end, Roy let him try out a few of his own recipes and they ended up with a reasonable, vegetarian Christmas dinner. They ate in happy silence, with Roy occasionally getting texts from his friends and Barbara. By the time the sun went down, he and Connor had just finished eating.

"Are you ready for your big present?" Roy asked as he stood and gathered the dishes.

"I am."

"Let's go, just leave the dishes in the sink for now. Put your shoes on. Come on."

"…Ok." Connor put on his shoes and followed Roy out of the apartment. 'Where are we going? What could this big present possibly be?'

— —

The fact that Roy lead Connor to the Arrow Cave didn't clear things up for him. "What're we doing here?" he asked as he tried not to stumble in the dark.

"Your present." Roy guided him to stand somewhere, then let go. "Ok, stay here. Don't move."

"Got it." Connor waited for a few moments and the lights turned on. He blinked and frowned for a moment as his eyes adjusted before he processed what was in front of him. There was now a second display containing a new suit. It had a dark green and red, long-sleeve top with green pants. The arms had yellow gauntlets, red boots with yellow tops, and a utility belt. On the back was a dark red hood and dark green mask with white lenses. "Whoa…"

"You like it?"

"How did you-"

"You left the drawing in the living room a few weeks ago."

"It's just like I imagined." Connor reached out and touched the sleeve. "The long sleeves won't get in the way?"

"No. Do you like it?"

"I love it." He turned to Roy with the biggest smile on his face. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, I'm glad you like it. Your training has been going so well, I thought it was time for you to get some practical training in the city."

"Really? So I can patrol with you?!"

"Kind of. You're going to shadow me and help with following people. Plus I need to teach you how to zip-line with your bow."

"But I can start going out with you, I don't have to stay in the cave and man the comms anymore?"

"No."

Connor smiled even more and rubbed his hands together. 'Finally!'

Roy smiled as he watched the teen examine his suit; the excitement evident in his body. He got a text and Roy looked at it.

Kal: 11:30?

Roy: I'll leave the window unlocked

Roy put his phone away and gave Connor a semi-sad smile. "Time to go home."

"Really?"

"Yes, but you can try it out this weekend."

"And all during my winter break?"

"And all during your winter break."

"Yes!"

'This is the most outwardly excited I've seen him,' Roy thought as they climbed the stairs. 'It's nice.' He put his arm around Connor's shoulders. "Have you thought about a name yet?"

"Uh…" Connor stalled. 'I don't want to tell him. Not yet. He'll freak out and he's given me such a great present.' Plus it'd been such a nice day, he didn't want to ruin it. "Not yet."

"Well, you have plenty of time."

"What're you going to call me when we're out in the field?"

"How about Little Arrow?"

Connor's cheeks warmed up. "Uh…" He cleared his throat. "Thank you for my present, Roy."

"You're welcome, Connor. I'm glad you like it."

— —

After Connor went to bed, Roy stayed up and paced around his bedroom after locking the door. At exactly 11:30 he heard his window open and turned around. "On time, as always," Roy smiled.

"I would never want to be late when coming to see you, my love," Kaldur replied. He stepped closer and kissed Roy. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas."

"I got you something."

"Did you?"

"Mhm." Kaldur smiled and leaned in to start kissing Roy's neck.

"Would this be the same thing you got me last year?"

"Maybe…."

Roy laughed and let Kaldur push him onto the bed. "I'm not opposed, but I do have a 13-year-old sleeping down the hall."

"If we did not wake up Batman sleeping down the hall from you last year, I doubt we will wake Connor."

"True." Roy wrapped his arms around Kaldur's neck to pull him down closer. A second later Kaldur was nibbling at his neck. "And I suppose we'll just pretend like he won't see a hickey?"

"From what you have told me about him, I doubt he will bring it up."

"But he could."

Kaldur pulled away. "It isn't my fault your teeth aren't sharp enough to bruise my skin."

"It's not my fault you have freakishly thick Atlantean skin. You'd think being half-human would make it easier."

"You would imagine. Besides, no reaction can be worse than Batman's."

"It wasn't that bad."

"Says the person who didn't have to spar Batman for an hour and a half without stopping."

Roy laughed. "Yeah…"

"Every time he knew I would be going to spend the night with you."

"You can't keep using Batman's reactions to our relationship progressing to win."

"So stop me."

Roy rolled his eyes. "Why don't you just give me my present and then I can give you yours?"

Kaldur leaned in so close that he could whisper in Roy's ear as he slipped his hands under the other man's shirt. "If you insist, my love."


	9. Fight by the Water

A/N: Time for another update! Enjoy and leave a reviw to let me know what you think!

[March 2014]

"Got you!" Red Arrows' hand snagged his partner's and he swung them safely onto the balcony of an apartment building. He steadied Connor and smiled. "You were close that time."

"You mean close to ending up as a smudge on the ground?" Connor asked, out of breath and voice shaking.

"I told you, you have to jump, then shoot the next arrow."

"Easy for you to say!"

Red Arrow chuckled. "Let's try again. remember, when you get closer to the buildings, use the suspension of the wires to jump, shoot to the next building, then land and slide."

"…" Connor's jaw hung open a little as he stared at Red Arrow. "I don't think I can do this."

"Sure you can! Your reaction times are good, you just need practice. And I'll be right behind you the whole time to catch you if you need it." He gave the teen an encouraging pat on the back. "Come on. Try it again."

Connor sighed. "Ok." He pulled a line-arrow from his quiver, then shot at the building across the threat from them downward at an angle. Once it hit, he hit the button on the side and heard it attach to the building behind them. Another unsure glance at Red Arrow, then he hooked his bow over the line and zipped down. The zipping part wasn't hard, in fact, it was fun. Butterflies fluttered around his stomach and adrenaline pumped through his muscles as he descended. When he got within twenty feet of the next building he used his body weight to pull down on the taut line and launch himself in the air. While in the air, he tilted around (with a semi-complicated acrobatic move Red Arrow had shown him) and shot another line arrow. The arrow hit the next building farther down the black, and he landed back on the first line. Now close to the building, Connor twisted his bow so that he slowed down, then pulled down again and jumped to the next line. When he landed safely he heard a victorious whoop behind him and a small smile spread over his lips.

The young vigilante repeated this pattern all down the block until he was close enough to the ground that he could fall safely to the ground. When he did, he rolled to his feet and quickly there himself into the closest shadow like he'd been taught. Connor waited with bated breath, a regular arrow nocked to his bow. A minute later, Red Arrow dropped to the ground; right where Connor had earlier. The older archer scanned the area for a moment, before landing right where Connor was hiding.

"Found you," he smiled.

Connor sighed and stood. "I'm going to hide from you one of these days," he said as he stepped out of the shadow.

"Uh-huh. Keep dreaming, kid. That was really good though. You made it all the way down the block and went straight for the shadows when you made it to the ground. You did really good."

"Good enough to patrol regularly?" Red Arrow didn't reply. "Oh, come on, Arrow! I can zip-line, I know the city layout, I can hold my own against you in a fight for like half an hour, I'm a good shot, I know who to differentiate between tricks arrows-"

"I know-"

"So what is it?!"

Red Arrow sighed. "It's not you."

"Is it… You know…?"

"No. It's not him either. It's just…"

"Just what?"

'It's just that I could never live with myself if something happened to you.' Roy bit his lip. Even though he'd only had Connor in his life for six months, he knew that if anything happened to the kid, it would leave a hole in his soul he might never recover from. 'What would I do without him helping me with dinner, or meditating with me when I've had a bad day? How could I possibly go on?!'

Connor watched him for a moment. "Red Arrow…what've you been training me for if you're not going to let me be a hero?"

Red Arrow opened his mouth, but before he answered something in one of his touches beeped. He took out the device and looked at it. "They're back!"

"Who?"

"The robbers." It'd been a month since the last bank robbery, and Red Arrow had been hoping that maybe they'd finally gotten tired of bank robberies.

"What bank are they heading for?!"

Red Arrow watched their signals, which had popped up when they entered the city limits, on his tracking device. "They're…not…"

"What'd you mean they're not?"

"They're not heading toward a major bank. Not one that I know of at least."

"So where are they going?"

"…Star City Harbor." Red Arrow shared a look with Connor. "Let's go get our bikes. We have some criminals to spy on."

— —

While the harbor was usually a constant source of annoyance and headaches for Red Arrow, with criminals' tendencies to hide their ill-gotten arms and goods in the nearly hundreds of possible places and the trafficking of guns and drugs that came through, sometimes he found it to be a good place. For instance, trailing and then setting up a spot to spy on the robbers was too easy in a place where small buildings and shipping containers provided tons of shadows and vantage points. Red Arrow helped Connor lay on the roof if a buying where they were able to watch the robbers with binoculars.

"—twenty-three, twenty-four, twenty-five- It must be the whole group," Connor whispered as he counted the assembled criminals. "There's so many…"

'More than I thought,' Red Arrow thought grimly.

"Why would they all be assembled in one place like this? They've never done this before."

"Not inside the city at least." Red Arrow frowned as he puzzled through everything. 'I feel like I'm missing something really obvious here.' The answer came to him when a figure emerged from the water at the far end of one of the docks. The vigilante narrowed his eyes at the back-armored figure that approached the robbers.

"Who's that?"

"Black Manta." Everything made so much more sense now. "I'm sneaking closer. If I'm seen, go back to the Arrow Cave-"

"But-"

"Listen! Go back to the Arrow Cave and radio for Aqualad. Tell him where I am and what's happening. Understand?"

"But what about you?"

"I'll be fine. You need to follow my orders, Connor. You're still new and not equipped to deal with villains on Black Manta's level yet. Understand?"

"Fine. I understand."

"Stay here and keep watch. Remember what I said." Red Arrow slipped back to the ground, landing silently on the balls of his feet. He waited a moment to make sure he hadn't been seen, then crept closer to the meeting. Using the shadows for cover, the archer wove, ducked, and leaped his way closer and closer until he could make out the voices. When he could hear them clearly, Red Arrow crouched down and hid behind a shipping container. He only moved to pull an arrow silently from his quiver, then nocked it to the bowstring.

"—want a bigger cut," a man, one of the robbers, said.

"Your cut is more than generous considering the weapons I'm supplying you with," Black Manta replied.

"But we're doing all the heavy lifting! We got cops and vigilantes breathing down our backs all the time! If we get caught we're the ones going to prison!"

"I'm counting on that. But, if you're that concerned with having a bigger cut…there are always ways to do that." He raised a hand and several of his men raised their weapons (the same weapons that had been tormenting Red Arrow's city) right at several of the robbers.

"Whoa! Hey…let's not do anything rash."

"I thought not." Black Manta let his hand drop and the weapons followed suit. "But for your own rashness, I'll be increasing my cut by…15%."

"15-" The man only took half a step toward the villain before the weapons were pointed at him again. He quickly retracted by two steps and held his hands up in a placating gesture. "Ok. Ok. 15% it is. We'll just…need a little bit of time to get the extra money together."

"I expect all of it, in full, in 48 hours. Or I'll increase your cuts by at least half. Am I understood?"

"Yeah. You got it, man."

'48 hours,' Red Arrow thought. 'In two days, all of the robbers and Black Manta will be at this pier exchanging money in the open.' It was as if the solution to his months' old case had been dropped into his lap. Albeit, in a very dangerous way. 'I could really get some merit points with the Star police if I include them.' But with Manta involved, raises the risks of people getting hurt were significantly increased. 'Which includes the police and the robbers. Even if they have given me months of sleepless nights and a couple of panic attacks…I can't let them get killed.' Red Arrow rolled away from his hiding spot, stopped for a moment to make sure he hadn't been spotted, then somersaulted forward and sprinted back toward Connor. He reached the teen and tapped his ankle to signal for him to join him. The two archers hurried back to Roy's bike and Connor got on behind him.

"What's happening?" he asked.

"I think we have a chance to close the case," Red Arrow replied.

"We do?!"

"Yes. I have a stop to make, then we need to get back to the Arrow Cave."

'I get to help him close a case,' Connor thought as he held tightly to Red Arrow's torso. 'That'll make me a real hero, right?' An excited buzz spread through his nerves. 'I'm going to be a real hero!'

Red Arrow stopped a block from the police station and got off the bike. "Stay here," he told Connor. "I'll be right back."

"Ok."

Red Arrow shot a grapple arrow up at the building, then scaled up to the first floor and began free-climbing from there. 'He should be here…' the vigilante thought as he shimmed his way to a specific window. He found Detective Rodgerson's office window and gently rapped his knuckle against it.

The detective jumped as he spun around. His hand snapped to his gun for a second before he studied Red Arrow critically for a few moments. Then he walked closer and slowly unlocked the window. "You're not going to win friends here by sneaking into people's offices at night," Rodgerson said.

"I'm not sneaking in, I did knock," Red Arrow replied. "And I won't come in if you don't want me to. I'll stay on the windowsill."

"What do you want, archer?"

"I know who's behind the bank robberies. They'll be meeting at Marshall Pier 4 along the Star City Harbor. They should have the weapons, as well as a good portion of the money they've stolen."

"How do you know this?"

"I had a very lucky night."

"Why are you telling me?'

"Because, whether you guys, believe it or not, I'm on your side."

"The guy in green said the same thing back in the day."

Red Arrow resisted the urge to flinch. He took a slow breath before continuing. "In case the lack of dead bodies the last couple of years wasn't a huge clue, I'm not him. I'm reaching out because I want to help the police keep this city safe. You have the chance to get those laser weapons off the streets and stop these bank robberies. We both know the city's economy could use stability."

Rodgerson studied him for a moment; his hand never left his gun. "What exactly are you proposing?"

"These robbers have a benefactor. The person supplying them with laser weapons. He's a dangerous villain. I plan is to get some hero backup and separate the robbers from the villain. If I can keep the robbers away from their lasers, I can force them toward an awaiting police ambush."

"So we get the robbers and your hero buddies get the big bad guy?"

"Exactly. At the very least they can keep him busy and drive him away."

It was silent for a few seconds as Rodgerson surveyed the vigilante with narrowed eyes. "Why should I trust you?"

"Because I only want to help. I swear it."

"…I'll see what I can do, but considering who my source is, I'm not sure how many volunteers I'll get."

"I'll take whatever help I can get. Two days, 10:30 pm, Marshall Pier 4."

"I got it."

"See you there, Detective." Red Arrow scurried back down the side of the building and took a long route back to his bike. Thankfully, Connor was still there, sitting on the back, waiting for him.

"How'd it go?" the teen asked as his mentor got on the bike in front.

"As well as it could have. Hopefully, we have some police back-up in a couple nights."

"Now to the Arrow Cave?"

"Yes. I have more back-up to find."

— —

"…You have certainly stumbled upon an interesting and concerning plot," Aqualad said. The video feed allowed Red Arrow to see him, Aquagirl, and Tempest as they walked about what the vigilante had seen and heard earlier that night.

"Yes," Aquagirl agreed. "We should thank you for bringing Black Manta's involvement to our attention."

"Can I count on you three and Aquaman to back me up in two nights?" Red Arrow asked.

"I am afraid our king is otherwise pre-occupied by Justice League business," Aqualad replied. "However, the three of us will certainly be there."

"We are not a likely match for Manta and his goons alone," Tempest pointed out. "Not without Aquaman's help."

"But we can keep him busy while Red Arrow chases the robbers into the awaiting police force."

'At least someone was listening to the plan,' Red Arrow thought with a small smile.

"Count on us being there, Red Arrow. We will meet you at the pier at 10pm in two nights' time."

"Thank you. I knew I could count on you guys."

"Would that be because Black Manta is one of our man adversaries, or because you're sleeping with our friend here?" Tempest asked as he tossed a casual arm over Aqualad's shoulders.

Aquagirl giggled while Aqualad cleared his throat and glanced at the ground. "We will be there. Aqualad, out," he managed as he quickly ended the call.

Red Arrow sighed as he spun round in his chair and made eye contact with Connor, who'd been sitting on the ground— out of sight of the camera, but close enough to hear both ends of the conversation— while the teen restrung their bows. "I'm…so sorry you had to hear that."

"Not as sorry as I am," Connor replied. "But…at least they're coming to help us."

"Yeah…about that-"

"No! Don't make me stay here and run comms!" Connor set the bows down and stood up. "Please, Roy. I've been working so hard and you even said I was ready to be on the streets."

"Yeah, chasing down course snatchers, not taking on members of the Light!"

"What's the Light?"

Roy shook his head. "That's…a long conversation for a different time. Regardless, I'm still not comfortable letting you fight a villain like Black Manta." And he couldn't keep Connor hidden from the League and Team if he was fighting along-side all three of Aquaman's proteges.

"Please, Roy? Like I said earlier tonight…if I can't do hero stuff, then what've you been training me for?"

Roy sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, resisting the urge to wrap his arms around his chest. 'He's right. I hate to put him in danger but… I have been training him to be a hero.' And he had trained Connor on a long-distance weapon and fighting from the shadows. "Ok, ok. I'll think of something, but you have to do what I say, got it? It'll be your first big mission and takedown, so I want to make sure you're safe."

"Absolutely," Connor agreed. "Wherever you position me, whatever you tell me to do, I'll follow it. I promise."

"Good." Roy peeled his mask off and gave the teen a wry smile. "Guess this means you'll need to finally choose a name. I can't exactly be calling you Connor if we're working with other heroes."

"Uh… About that…" Connor slowly untied his mask and peeled off the front part Roy insisted he secure with spirit gum. "I- I've already thought of a name."

"Oh yeah, what is it?"

"Ok… Before I tell you, do you promise you won't freak out right away?"

'I get the feeling I'm not going to like whatever I hear next.' Roy took a deep breath and squeezed his hands into fists for a moment. "Ok."

"…I want to be called Green Arrow."

The name sent an automatic jolt of panic through Roy. He rested the urge to flinch. "…Why?"

"Because… I don't want to be my father. I want to be better. And I think that I can only do that by taking the name he used to terrorize and hurt people and reclaim it for something better. Like you did with Red Arrow."

"But with a name that will make the police start shooting at you the moment they hear it?"

"…I know it'll take time for people to get used to it…but I really want this, Roy. Please?"

Roy sighed. "You understand why I feel what I feel about that name right, Connor?"

"I do! I really do and…if it makes you too uncomfortable and you can't overcome that, then I'll drop it and think of a different name."

'…I really, really hate that name,' Roy thought as he wrapped his arms around his chest. 'But…what's the real harm? Ollie is thousands of miles away, locked up on another planet. And maybe I can use this to finally get it through Connor's head that he might be Ollie's son, but that doesn't mean he's anything like the man.' As much as Roy also hated the name, he knew that it wouldn't be healthy for him to allow it to control him for the rest of his life. "Alright. You can call yourself, Green Arrow."

"I can?!"

"Yes, but if the police shoot at you too much, I reserve the right to make you pick a new name."

"Deal." Connor smiled as he slowly stripped out of his suit. "Thanks, Roy. You're the best."

"…Thanks. Now get ready to go home. It's way past your bedtime, especially for a school night." He rubbed his neck again as he paced across a few feet of space. 'God, I really hope I don't regret this. Please don't let me regret this.'

— —

The next two days were filled with tension and anticipation for Roy. With the combined prospect of finally closing the bank robbery case and having Connor on the streets for his first, big takedown kept him incredibly pre-occupied. When the night arrived, Roy checked and doubled-checked Connor's quiver to make sure he had all the necessary arrows.

"I'm going to be fine, Red Arrow," Connor— Green Arrow said as he applied the spirit gum to the front of the mask, then tied the back. He pulled the hood up over his head. "You're a great archer and you've prepared me for this."

"I know."

Green Arrow knelt down next to his mentor and put one of his hands on his quiver. "It won't be like with R- your brother. I'll be careful and I won't leave my position."

Red Arrow sighed. "I know. I know. I'm just worried."

"Don't be. I'll be fine. You've more than prepared me to handle this."

"Ok." Red Arrow handed Green Arrow his quiver and stood up as the teen secured it around his body. "So…Green Arrow, are you ready?"

"I am." Green Arrow smiled and it sent a short spasm of fear through Red Arrow's body. With the mask and the hood hiding the teen's blonde hair, he didn't resemble his father as much. Even the shallow shadow cast over the younger archer's face slightly obscured his smile and made him look less related to Oliver.

"Good. Let's go." Red Arrow got on his bike and Green Arrow got on the back. The two archers were silent as they drove to their pier, both their hearts pounding in anticipation. When they reached the harbor, Red Arrow hid his bike and led his young partner to an excellent hiding spot on a shipping crate. "Ok, you're going to stay here. I'll try to keep all the robbers to one walkway, but if some getaway, this will be the only path open for them. You remember which arrows to use?"

"Of course."

"Good. Keep your comm set to channel two to talk to me. That's our private channel. I'll be on channel one with Aqualad, Aquagirl, and Tempest. Listen on that one only to keep updated on what's happening."

"Got it," Green Arrow nodded.

"Ok. Good luck."

"You too. And…you be careful too." Red Arrow wasn't the only one worried about losing his new partner.

"I will." Red Arrow quickly used the shipping containers and low-lying buildings to reach the meeting spot. He stopped by the water and waited for a few minutes; his eyes scanning the dark waters. Eventually, there were small ripples, then three figures merged silently. Against the darkness, Red Arrow could see the glowing tattoos on Aqualad's arms. He slipped off the building he was on and walked to meet them under a light near the pier.

"Greetings, Red Arrow," Aquagirl greeted with a wide smile.

"Hey." Almost on instinct, Red Arrow held out his hand and Aqualad took it. "Hey…"

"Hello, my love," Aqualad greeted so quietly, their two allies could barely hear.

"Yes, amazing surface archer," Tempest said with an air of indifference as he crossed his arms. "Wonderful to see you. Where are we kicking Black Manta's ass?"

"…Who taught you that word?"

"Your now retired Kid Flash."

'Figures,' Red Arrow thought. "Down at the next pier. Do you guys think you can handle Manta while I take care of the robbers?"

"Of course we can."

"Good. Hopefully, if this goes smoothly, Black Manta will realize he shouldn't be supplying bank robbers with laser weapons and I'll have those criminals in police custody."

"Then let us go," Aqualad said, inclining his head. "Lead the way."

Red Arrow led them to the pier where he'd first spotted the robbers and Manta. As they got closer, the vans the robbers and been using came into view, so the group split up. Aqualad and Aquagirl went left, while Tempest and Red Arrow went to the right. The two heroes scaled a stack of shipping crates and sat down to wait.

"Green Arrow to Red Arrow," Green Arrow said over his comms. "The police are set up with their ambush. We're all set back here."

'Good.' Black Manta walked down the pier toward the robbers and the archer took a deep breath. 'Showtime.' He pulled an arrow from his quiver at the same moment that Tempest raised his hands.

"We await your signal," Aqualad said over the comms.

"What're we waiting for, surface boy?" Tempest asked under his breath.

"Waiting for them to take out the money," Red Arrow replied. "I need them to have the money and the laser weapons in their hands when I chase them to the police."

"Fair enough."

They didn't have long to wait. As soon as the robbers saw Black Manta approaching, they started dragging black trunks of what Red Arrow assumed was cash from the backs of the vans.

"Now?"

"Now," Red Arrow said over the comms. He shot a glue arrow at the ground between Black Manta and the robbers. All the criminals froze as the four hears descended upon them. Two more glue arrows made sure that the ground between the two groups was uncrossable. Unfortunately, Red Arrow landed on the Manta side of the line and was immediately under fire from the laser weapons the man's goons carried. From the corner of his eye, lighting shocked over the goons as a wave crashed out of the harbor and over them.

"Go!" Aqualad hissed as he crated two swords with his water bearers. "We have Manta!" As if to prove his point, he attacked their adversary with ferocity.

Red Arrow nodded and quickly ran toward the robbers; he completed a flip to get over the glue barrier he'd created. He landed in a kneeling position, then pulled an arrow from his quiver and shot it. An electroshock arrow hit one of the robbers and the woman dropped the side of the black box she was carrying. Red Arrow kept up his barrage of arrows, not slowing down as the robbers retreated toward their vans. However, they quickly discovered arrows in the tires, preventing them from driving away. They fired the laser weapons at him, but Red Arrow ducked and weaved to avoid getting hit. However, he ended up turning in such a way that one of the robbers was able to shoot at his back.

Luckily, a wall of water was suddenly created, then frozen behind Red Arrow. The laser blast hit it and he turned around. Tempest gave him a nod before unfreezing the wall of water and swung his hands in the direction of the robbers. Water swept them off their feet and Red Arrow gave the Atlantean a nod before he began corralling them toward the path through the shipping containers.

"We have to go!" the man who had spoken to Black Manta two days before yelled at the larger group.

"Bring the loot!" another man yelled. "If we don't give Manta his cut, he'll kill us!"

"I'll kill you if I don't get mine!" one of the women yelled as they followed him.

'They're going have bigger problems than keeping their ill-gotten money,' Red Arrow thought as he followed the robbers. As he predicted might happen, some of them split off and went down the second path that led toward his young partner instead of toward the police. "Robbers coming toward you, GA," Red Arrow said over his comm.

"I got them!" Green Arrow replied. He pulled an arrow from his quiver and aimed it downward. A minute later, he saw the first few robbers approaching. 'Just like I learned.' He shot his electroshock arrow at the first one, then shot a glue arrow at the ground for a group of three. Unfortunately, he wasn't fast enough to shoot them all as they passed, so he jumped down from his spot into the fray. There were probably two dozen robbers, most of whom turned their laser weapons on him. Green Arrow ducked and swung his bow at the heads of the robbers. He took out two, then tripped another. A foam arrow stopped a laser weapon from decapitating him and he quickly shot a glue-arrow at some escaping robbers that had slipped past him. He quickly turned back and fired off two more electroshock arrows one after the other. While the arrows took out those two, Green Arrow hit started attacking the ones closest to him.

His feet and bow landed precise strikes on the robbers' chests, stomachs, and heads. They dropped around him like puppets as the young vigilante wove his way between them. Some of the robbers came at him with their hands or using their clogged weapons as makeshift clubs, but Green Arrow blocked them with ease. When one of the laser-guns hit his bow it sent a jolt down his arms, but he held on. In one fluid motion, he pushed the weapon up with his bow, then kicked the man in the stomach. Something hit him on the back, but he dropped and rolled, came up into a kneeling position, then shot a new arrow at the person's feet. There wasn't time to rest though because the archer had to somersault forward to avoid another blow and flipped back to his feet. As soon as his feet touched the ground he fired net-arrows that trapped two groups of robbers against one of the shipping containers.

Only a few robbers were remaining, and those were easily taken out by a couple of electroshock arrows. When the last one dropped to the ground with a grunt and quiet buzz, Green Arrow froze for a moment with his bow still up. It was completely silent for a few moments before he slowly lowered the weapon. 'Did I…?' Green Arrow looked around and a slow smile crossed his face. 'I did! I took them all down by myself!' He did a quick headcount and excitement bubbled up in his stomach. '28! I took down 28 armed robbers all by myself! I knew I was ready!' Some of the robbers stirred and tried to get to their feet, so he quickly stowed his bow on his back and began zip-tying the hands of the robbers. 'I really did it! Just like a real hero!'

Meanwhile, Red Arrow used a grapple arrow to get himself onto a shipping container as he got closer to the police. 'I don't want to take the chance that they'll shoot me,' he thought as he fired arrows from his vantage spot. The glue arrows trapped the robbers in small groups of three, but some of them weren't in his range due to their proximity to the containers he was on. About twenty feet head he could see lights. 'The police,' he thought. 'Good.' He glanced down at the robbers and they were aiming their laser-guns at the officers. 'Not gonna happen.' Red Arrow took a deep breath, then leaped from the shipping containers. He rolled when he hit the ground and popped up; startling the robbers around him. He started firing off electroshock and foam arrows to either disarm the robbers or render as many of their weapons useless as he could. They mostly continued to flee toward the police, which prompted Red Arrow to hang back.

"Stop!" Detective Rodgerson shouted. "Star City police! Drop your weapons!"

The robbers all came to slow and independent stops as they realized their situation. There was a blockade of two dozen police officers, all armed behind police cars on one side; and the highly-trained vigilante behind them. Several of them immediately threw their hands in the air and got down on their knees. Others tried to climb the shipping containers, to no avail, as a means of escape; and still, others decided to take their chances against Red Arrow.

'Yeah, great odds,' Red Arrow thought as he pulled two arrows from his quiver. 'One against…..eight? Nine? Humph. I almost feel sorry for them.' He fired the first two arrows at the feet of the robbers. The glue got four of them, but the rest reached Red Arrow before he could draw another arrow. He immediately started whacking them with his bow in their head or chest. The robbers dropped around him in a matter of seconds. When Red Arrow turned around again he found himself face to face with the barrel of a police gun. He took half a step back and the gun dropped in the next second.

"Sorry," Detective Rodgerson said. "I promise I wasn't going to shoot you."

"Good to know." Red Arrow stepped away while the detective crouched down. He definitely didn't miss the way the man periodically checked the pulse of the dropped criminals before handcuffing them.

"Red Arrow?" Green Arrow said over the comm.

"Yeah?"

"I have 12 robbers here, all restrained and ready for the police."

'12?! And the kid took them all on alone?!' Pride welled in his chest, but Red Arrow simply nodded. "Good. I'll send some officers your way. Head back toward the pier, but stay in the shadows and make sure you're not seen."

"Got it!"

Red Arrow's hand dropped from his comm and he cleared his throat to get Detective Rodgerson's attention. "There are approximately 12 more robbers in the pathway between here and Pier 3."

"I'll send some officers over to take care of them."

"Good. Are you guys all set?"

"…Yeah. Go ahead, archer."

Red Arrow took off running for the pier, his hand flying toward his comm as he did. "Aqualad, how you guys hiding up?"

"We…are…ugh! We are…standing!" Aqualad grunted. "Manta's goons are all down, but Manta himself is proving tone a formidable opponent."

"The robbers are all taken care of, so I'm on my way to help!" Red Arrow's hand dropped and he sprinted toward his allies. He reached the pier within a few minutes and in time to see Black Manat knock Aquagirl and Tempest into the harbor. He turned toward Aqualad and Red Arrow fired off a stun grenade arrow. "Aqualad, eyes!" he shouted as he did. His boyfriend used his water bearers to create a wall of water between himself and the small explosion. When the boom sounded he dropped his arms and immediately created two swords. From the corners of his eyes, he saw Aquagirl and Tempest rise back onto the pier, both with their hands up and ready; and Red Arrow on the other side, two arrows nocked on his bowstring.

Black Manta carefully looked around at the four heroes who'd surrounded him. "It seems we are at a draw," he said.

"It seems to me that we have you surrounded," Aqualad replied evenly. "Surrender, Manta."

"To a lackey for a tyrant? Never!"

"Then we'll make you," Tempest warned.

"Our king is no tyrant," Aquagirl added.

"Why should we take the word of a terrorist like you?" Aqualad added.

Black Manta laughed. "Don't believe everything your king tells you, boy," he said with an obvious smile. "He hides far more than you realize. Even from his sidekicks."

"Don't call us sidekicks!" The four heroes attacked, but in the next moment smoke filled all their visions and they were forced into a small retreat.

Red Arrow instinctively held his breath to keep from breathing in the smoke. When it dissipated he surged forward, but Black Manat and even his unconscious goons were all gone. "Well…that was fun," he sighed.

"He got away," Tempest grumbled. "What will we tell Aquaman?"

"That we fought valiantly against his sworn enemy and prevented him from establishing a foothold on a surface city as well as cut off a route of funding for his organization," Aquagirl replied evenly.

'I like her,' Red Arrow thought with a smirk. He looked at Aqualad and the smirk turned into a frown when he saw the look on his boyfriend's face. "Aqualad? Aqualad!"

"Yes?" Aqualad asked suddenly.

"You ok? You look concerned."

"It is nothing…"

"Just what Manta said?" The non-answer was all the answer Red Arrow needed. "Manta is a villain. The sworn enemy of your mentor. He's just trying to get inside your head."

"He has said similar sentiments the last few encounters we have had. It is quite a commitment he is showing toward a simple ruse."

"Villains, lie, Kal. You know that. They manipulate you and try to get inside your head. Don't let him."

"He is right," Tempest agreed. "Red Arrow may just be a surface boy, but he is right. Manta knows he could get to the king by going through us, so he will say anything to throw you off your game. Do not let him."

"You know I'm right when Garth agrees with me," Red Arrow said.

Aqualad nodded. "You are both right," he conceded. He turned his full attention to Red Arrow. "You got all the bank robbers?"

"Every last one is currently in or about to be in police custody. There's actually more than I thought there would be, I think their confidence has grown in the last month."

"And you are not hurt?" Aqualad ran his fingertips down the archer's arm and Red Arrow gave him a smile.

"I'm fine. Don't worry."

"Good." Aqualad stepped back. "We should go home."

"Of course. Thank you so much for your guys' help. I couldn't have done it without you."

"Of course!" Aquagirl replied. "And if you want to repay us…Garth and I will be free for a double-date in a couple weeks. Kal has told us all about the surface restaurants you have brought him to where they don't serve over-cooked fish."

"You mean raw stuff? Like sushi?"

"Yes."

Red Arrow smiled. "It's a date then. Have Kal text me when you guys are free and we'll all go out."

"Very good. Good-bye, Red Arrow."

"Bye, Aquagirl."

"Later, surface boy," Tempest said as he followed his girlfriend back toward the water.

"Bye." Red Arrow turned toward Aqualad and they held hands for a moment. "Thank you."

"Anytime my love," Aqualad replied. "I will be here for you. Always."

"I'm glad." Red Arrow leaned in and gave him a quick kiss on the lips before his boyfriend pulled away and followed his friends back down the pier. The archer waited until the three Atlanteans disappeared under the water, then turned away. When he was near the shipping containers, Green Arrow jumped down in front of him.

"Are you ok?" Green Arrow asked voice laced with concern. "I saw the smoke and I thought-"

"I'm fine. Manta was just running like the coward he is."

"Oh. Good. And…Aqualad and his friends?"

"They left, but they're fine too."

"Good."

"Are you ok?"

"I am. I barely even got hit."

"I'm still giving you a check-up when we get back. Agreed?"

"Agreed."

"Good. I want to double-check that the police are all set, then we can go home."

"Cool." Green Arrow practically bounced on the balls of his feet as he followed Red Arrow onto the shipping containers again. "I took down 12 bad guys."

"I know."

"Alone."

The tone, more than the word, made Red Arrow freeze for a moment. He suddenly remembered another time; with another young vigilante hoping for positive recognition after incapacitating a criminal for the first time. Another archer who had been eager to prove himself to his mentor. 'Except this time is different,' Red Arrow thought. 'I'm different.' He smiled at Green Arrow put his hand on the teen's shoulder. "You did good, GA. I'm proud of you."

Green Arrow felt heat creep into his cheeks. "Th-Thanks."

"You're welcome. Now come on, if we hurry we'll have time for some of that banana bread you made before bed tonight."

Green Arrow smiled as he followed his mentor toward the police.


	10. Double Date

A/N: Hey, look at that. I remembered to update on Wednesday, lol. Let me know what you think!

Roy sighed as he looked over the file in his hands one more time. 'All of the evidence is here,' he decided as he slowly closed the file. His fingers drummed off the file as he looked at the clock on his desk. 'Five minutes,' he thought. 'Detective Rodgerson should be here in five minutes.' The urge to re-open the file hit him, but Roy resisted. "No. I don't need to keep checking it. I triple checked all the evidence I doctored before I put it in here." The door to his business opened and he quickly flattened his hand on the file. "Detective Rodgseron," he said in greeting.

"Raymond," Detective Rodgerson replied. He shook the private detective's hand, then sat down across the desk from him. "Good to see you again."

"And you. How've you been?"

"Good. Just closed a big case."

"I read about the capture of the bank robbers in the papers. Glad to know those dangerous criminals are off the streets."

"It is. So…you have your conclusion to the Roy Harper case?"

"I do." Roy tapped his fingers off the file for a brief moment. "First, I want your word, Detective, that whatever I tell you, you will let this case go when I'm done."

"…What do you have?"

"First, you should know that I believe Roy Harper is alive."

"You do?!"

"I do." Roy slid the file across the desk. "I think you were right about the abuse theory. It would certainly explain why he ran away."

"He ran away?"

"It appears so. I found a person who looks remarkably like him working at a factory in Metropolis."

Detective Rodgerson opened the file and began looking at the pictures Roy had doctored. "Are you sure it's him?"

"Pretty sure. He's going by the name Isaac Begay."

"It looks like he dyed his hair too." Detective Rodgerson looked at him. "How did you find his out exactly?"

"I have my contacts."

"Mhm. And how exactly did a 14-year-old kid make it from Star City to Metropolis?"

Roy shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine."

Detective Rodgerson gave him a look of disbelief. "Do you really expect me to buy this?"

"I don't expect you to buy anything, Detective."

"So is this some kind of joke to you?"

Roy folded his hands on his desk. "Detective, I'm presenting you with evidence that Roy Harper is alive. Because I believe he is. Whether or not Oliver Queen killed him would be irrelevant because Mr. Queen is also missing. You'd never get a satisfying answer. So I'm giving you one. If you want to believe Roy Harper is alive, then believe it because I've provided you with the evidence to do so."

"…That wasn't exactly what I hired you to do."

"Sometimes you can't close a case, Detective. Sometimes the best you can do is have peace of mind."

Detective Rodgerson was quiet for a few moments. "I want to believe he's alive. That he survived and found a place where he was safe and happy. That I didn't let a pompous billionaire get away with murdering a child who was under his care."

"I don't think that's what happened."

"…And you have the evidence to prove it." Detective Rodgerson looked at him. "You're not what I thought you'd be, Raymond."

"How so?"

"Most private detectives would have just said Roy was dead and taken the fee. You went to the trouble to…find evidence because you wanted to give me peace of mind."

"It sounds like you were testing me."

"I was…in a way." Detective Rodgerson closed the file and put it in his bag. "Sometimes I need a little…help with difficult or sensitive cases. It'll be nice to know there's a reasonable and ethical person I can turn to. I hope?" He held out his hand and Roy hesitated for a moment before he shook it.

"Of course. I look forward to potentially helping you in the future, Detective."

"Thank you, Raymond. I mean it."

"You're welcome." Roy watched him leave, then sat back in his chair and sighed. 'I don't know if it'll help him sleep at night, but God I hope so.' It drove a spike of guilt through him to know Rodgerson, a good and dedicated man, was haunted by the disappearance of the man he'd sat across from. It wasn't fair. 'I wanted to come here to heal the wounds Ollie left on the city…and that includes the police who got wrapped up in this mess just trying to do their jobs.' It might not have been a great ending he could give the case, but it was the best he could do. 'And I've once again proven myself to Rodgerson as a good ally.' There hadn't been a lot of thawing between Rodgerson and Red Arrow, but the detective hadn't shot at him in passing so that was something. Roy checked the time, then sighed again and heaved himself to his feet. 'I have to get home. Big plans tonight.'

For a vigilante, big plans normally meant closing an important case or a stake-out. Tonight though…it meant double-dating with Tula and Garth at a sushi place. 'And leaving Connor alone on a Friday night,' Roy thought as he walked home, the early spring air chilling as the sun began to set. 'And right at the start of the kid's spring vacation too. He seems pretty excited about not needing to go to school for a week.' Part of Roy wished that he could make Connor like school— knowing first hand how awful it was to be separated from your same-aged peers— but he also understood why socializing was so hard for the teen. He walked into his apartment to find Connor sitting on the couch, doing homework. "Homework, really, Connor?"

"What?" Connor asked. "I was assigned homework over spring break."

"You have all week to work on it. Pace yourself."

"Well…you're going to be gone all night, so I can't patrol- right?" He twisted around and craned his neck to look at Roy.

"Correct. If Red Arrow doesn't patrol, neither does Green Arrow."

"Right…"

Roy paused at the disappointed tone in Connor's voice. "But…if you wanted to go to the Arrow Cave and…practice your archer then I wouldn't mind."

"Really?!"

"Yes, but you have to give me your word that you won't go out and patrol without me."

"Absolutely!" Connor practically jumped to his feet. "Thanks, Roy!"

"You're welcome, kid. There's some leftover eggplant lasagna in the fridge, don't forget to eat tonight."

"I won't."

'The last thing I need is for CPS to think I'm starving him.' The thought made him wince. 'I'd never do that to Connor though. Never.' Roy quickly put on something more suitable for his date and was just buttoning up his shirt when he heard a knock on the door. "Connor?!"

"I got it, Roy!" Connor quickly ran to the door and opened it, only for his mouth to fall open a little bit.

"Hello," Kaldur greeted. "I am-"

"Aqualad…" Connor blinked, then his cheeks got warm. "I mean Kaldur. Sorry."

"It is fine. You must be Connor. Roy has told me a lot about you."

"He- He did?"

"Indeed. I hope you will be ready to join the Team soon. We could use a skilled archer."

"Th-Thanks."

"Putting ideas in my partner's head?" Roy asked with a playful smile as he approached.

Kaldur caught sight of him in a dark red, button-up shirt, and black pants and whispered under his breath in Atlantean. "You look breath-taking," he said.

"You don't look so bad yourself." Roy kissed Kaldur, then looked at Connor as his fingers absentmindedly intertwined with his boyfriend's. "You gonna be all set, Connor?"

"Mhm," Connor nodded. "I-I'll be fine."

"Ok. Have fun. Remember to…lock up. Got it?"

"Yup. Have fun…" He glanced at Kaldur. "N-Nice to meet you, Kaldur."

"You as well, Connor," Kaldur replied.

"Home and in bed by 10," Roy added as he left.

"I got it." Connor didn't move until Roy and Kaldur had left and the door shut. "I just met Aqualad…" He smiled to himself. "Awesome…"

Meanwhile, Roy pulled Kaldur closer as they walked down the stairs of the apartment building. "I think Connor was a little star-struck by you," he teased.

"I do not understand why. I have never been as pubic a protege like Wally," Kaldur replied. "If anything, I have been in the background."

"Connor's kind of a…background kid anyway. Maybe that's why he likes you so much."

"Perhaps."

They exited the building, where Garth and Tula were waiting for them. "You guys look great," Roy said. 'Can't even tell they're Atlantean.'

"I do not like…shoes," Garth said with a face. He kicked one of his feet for emphasis. "Why do you wear shoes?"

"You think wearing shoes is weird…I think eating raw meat is weird."

Tula rolled her eyes. "Let's go, before Garth complains more," she suggested.

"The restaurant is just a few blocks away."

"How have you been, Roy?"

"I've been fine. Busy with wrapping the bank robbery case as well as tracking down some runaway teenagers in my private business."

"You have a weird job," Garth observed.

"I have a job that lets me help people. Especially victims of abuse and trafficking."

Kaldur smiled at Roy and squeezed his hand. "You are noble and kind, my love," he said. "You have a good heart."

"Awww," Tula cooed.

"Don't let him fool you, he wants to spend the night."

"Not our Kaldur!" Garth declared with faux outrage. With slightly faster than human speed, he broke away from Tula's hand and jumped between Roy and Kaldur. He threw his arm over Kaldur's shoulder's protectively. "Kaldur is a baby and would never seek out illicit activities!"

"Garth-" Kaldur began, voice tinged with embarrassment, but Garth put a hand over his mouth and pressed on.

"How dare you insinuate that otherwise, or even attempt to corrupt his innocent mind! Shame on you, surface boy!"

Roy shook his head as Tula laughed and Kaldur grabbed Garth's arm in a move the archer knew would result in him being thrown over Kal's shoulder. He intervened quickly, grabbed Garth's hand and pulled it off. "Why don't you keep the 'surface boy' comments to a minimum while we're in public," he suggested.

"I'm just protecting my friend."

"I hate you," Kaldur said as Tula pulled Garth away and wrapped her arms around one of his.

"Of course you don't."

"Ignore Garth," Tula suggested. "We've been so busy with our studies we haven't been on as many missions. He's got pent up energy."

"It's fine," Roy assured her. He took Kaldur's hand again and squeezed it. He nodded his head at a dim neon sign ahead of them. "That's the restaurant right there."

"Is the food good?"

"It is." And it was out of the way and usually not highly trafficked, even on a Friday night. The perfect place for four young superheroes trying to keep a low profile and have a fun, quiet evening. 'I hope Connor's night is just as fun.'

— —

After a quiet dinner with a book and the eggplant lasagna, Connor made his way to the Arrow Cave for archery practice. 'This is nice,' he thought as he walked down the stairs. 'Just a nice, quiet night of practicing.' The silence in the cave— which wasn't actually a cave he didn't get that— was a little unnerving. It spurred him on to grab his bow and get to work. Connor shot arrows at the target for half an hour without stopping. When he'd emptied his quiver for the fifth time, he stopped for a moment.

'I don't like being alone,' Connor thought as his chest tightened. 'Alone is so…alone.' Alone is how he'd felt for the past nine months since he'd found out about his mom. Alone is what had driven him to run away from his foster parents and hitchhike to Star. Alone was a state he'd become intimately familiar with. Connor didn't like it. He sighed and looked around the empty space. "I should probably just…keep shooting." He glanced in the direction of the computer monitors. "Or…I could do some research." Some unsupervised research on something he'd wanted to know for a while, but Roy never wanted to talk about.

Connor sat down at the monitors and thought for a moment, then carefully put in Roy's login. The teen had his own, but he knew it only allowed him to access certain programs and information. His mentor's on the other hand…was completely unrestricted. Once Connor was in, he started poking around in the files. "Let's see… Where would he keep information about my dad?" After a few minutes of not finding anything, Connor did an old fashioned internet search. It gave him articles about Oliver Queen's disappearance and Roy's "disappearance" before that. "I already know all this though…" he muttered as he clicked out of an article. "I want to know… I don't know…" Connor sighed as he leaned back in the chair and turned himself back and forth idly. "I don't know what I want to know."

Which wasn't completely true. Connor wanted to know what his father was like. What had attracted his mom to someone who'd caused so much pain and suffering? "How could she sleep with someone who killed so many people and was so terrible to Roy?" Even if he didn't know what exactly had gone down. (Which he also wanted to know.) "But I can't ask… Roy will freak out if I do. Everything is better and if I ask it'll make everything weird and awkward again." Connor crossed his arms and sighed low again. 'Why is everything so hard? Is 13 supposed to be this difficult?'

— —

Roy tried not to laugh as he watched Garth and Tula struggle with chop-sticks. "You guys can just use a fork you know," he said.

"No!" Garth objected. "If you can eat with these…sticks, then so can we. It cannot be that hard." He tried to prove his point by stabbing a piece of sushi with one of the chopsticks, but the piece slipped off and onto the plate.

"It's not that hard," Kaldur agreed as he leaned over and ate a piece of sushi off Roy's chopsticks. "See?"

"That's not fair. You cheated."

"It's not cheating, it is using my resources."

Tula giggled as she slyly picked up a piece with her fingers and popped it into her mouth. The movement was still caught by Garth's keen eyes and he gave her a look of betrayal. He said something in Atlantean and she shrugged. "I was hungry," she replied simply. "And the…chopsticks were not helping."

"I can show you how to hold them again if you like," Roy said. Tula nodded and he leaned over to adjust her fingers on the thin sticks. "You guys have great hand-eye coordination, this should be no problem for you."

"Not all of us are as talented as you, Roy."

"Oh please…" Garth muttered as he rolled his eyes. "He's not that impressive."

"And yet he can eat right now and you cannot," Kaldur replied. He took another bite off Roy's chopsticks and smiled at his best friend.

"You are just eating off him!"

"This food is good," Tula said. "Surface people do know who to eat raw fish. I do not understand why you have such fascination with cooking it."

"Because most fish, and most meats, can't be eaten raw," Roy replied. "We'll get sick."

"Next time they need to eat a…hamburger," Kaldur added.

"Megan talks about those," Tula said. "They sound delicious."

"Then we'll have to go to a burger joint next time," Roy said. He looked across the table at Garth, who'd finally given in and started picking at his sushi with his fingers. "Don't worry, Garth, you can eat with your hands there."

"You are doing this to humiliate me and I will not forget it," Garth muttered.

Tula smiled and rubbed his back. "Do not take his threats to heart," she said. "Garth knows you mean him no ill will."

"Uh-huh…" Roy took a drink of his soda while he gave Kaldur a look. 'And he says his friends like me.'

Kaldur cleared his throat a little. "I believe you also had a dessert planned?" he asked Roy.

"Yeah, I was thinking we can grab some ice cream."

"Ice cream is good," Tula said, elbowing Garth so hard Roy almost winced. "We like ice cream, right, Garth?"

"Hm?" Garth looked up from his plate and nodded. "Oh, yeah. Conner and Megan made us try it. I liked it. Even if it was very cold."

"I was thinking we could get some warm brownie sundaes."

"What is a brownie sundae?" Tula asked, clearly intrigued. "It sounds very good."

"It is. You guys will like it." Roy ate his second to last piece of sushi, then fed Kaldur's last piece to him. "I'll go pay the check and then we can leave if you guys are done."

"And now he rushes us…" Garth muttered as he quickly ate the last two pieces of sushi.

"Please be nice," Kaldur asked, his voice low as he dropped into Atlantean. "You know how much I care about Roy."

"I'm not saying you don't love him."

"But you keep giving him a hard time."

"Someone has to. Its important surface boy understands how lucky he is to have you."

Kaldur felt his cheeks heat up and he looked at Tula in a clear plea for help. She rolled her eyes a little. "Boys…" she muttered, then looked at Garth. "Be a little nicer to Roy."

Garth took a long sip of his soda, then gave Kaldur a mischievous look. "I could be nice…or I could tell the king where you really are some nights when you claim to be at the mountain."

"Garth-"

"You guys ready?" Roy asked as he returned.

"Yes, let us go." Kaldur took Roy's hand as he slipped out of his seat.

"Is it safe to be walking around at night like this?" Garth asked as they left the restaurant.

Roy snorted. "I think we've got it covered," he said.

"I feel perfectly safe with you," Kaldur said as he drew closer, his arm intertwining with Roy's. "You are so brave, my love." Behind them, he could hear Garth making loud kissing noises. "Garth!"

"That was Tula!" Garth objected.

"It was not!" Tula interjected. "He lies!"

"Why are my friends so weird?" Kaldur muttered as he put his head on Roy's shoulder.

"You're talking to a guy who had exactly two friends for like four years," Roy reminded him. "And one of them isn't even human."

"Right…"

"So, Roy, is this what you and Kaldur normally do on dates?" Tula asked.

"Do we really want to know what you normally do?" Garth added quickly, but his girlfriend shover her hand over his mouth.

"Normally we sit and talk by the water," Roy said. "We're both pretty busy, so that's usually all we have time for."

"But once a month we have a…long date night," Kaldur added. "Where we have dinner, sometimes a movie, and I try to spend the night."

"It's true…he tries."

"We should go to a movie," Tula said. "Wally told me about those and they sound like fun."

"And a sports game," Garth added. "I want to see what surface sports are like."

"Movies and a sports game," Roy nodded. "I'll add them to the list of surface activities we need to try."

"Good."

"The ice cream parlor is just around the corner."

"Excellent. I want to try this…brownie sundae you keep talking about."

"You won't regret it."

"You said the same thing about the sushi."

"And was it good?"

"…It was good, but it was a lot of work for such little reward."

"But it was good."

"…Fine."

Kaldur chuckled and kissed Roy's head gently.

— —

Connor was ready to admit defeat when he found the shortcut. It was labeled BCC, and while he didn't know what the letters stood for, he quickly didn't care because a ton of files suddenly popped up on the screen. He scrolled through them, eyes skimming cases and names of villains he'd only ever seen on the news. 'A lot of these guys are in Gotham, aren't they?' he wondered. 'Joker… Riddler… Two-Face… Yeah, they are.' A frown slowly crept across his face. 'Why would there be files for Gotham villains on here? Roy did live there and he trained under Batman for a while. Maybe that's it…' His eyes widened when it hit him and he threw himself back from the monitors. "Oh my… BCC…. Bat Cave Computer…" he whispered. "I think I just accidentally broke into Batman's computer." His heart pounded a little in his ribs and he took a deep breath.

"This is Batman's computer… I have access to Batman's files…" The excitement started to join the fear the initial realization caused him. "I have access to Batman's files!" In an uncharacteristic moment of impulsiveness, Connor rolled back to the monitors and scrolled through them more slowly. 'I bet if I study some of these cases it can make me a better hero.' And if he was a better hero, he'd be less like his father. "And if I'm less like Oliver then Roy will like me more." He clicked on a file labeled 'Penguin' and stated reading cases. Some of them involved Roy and some of them happened before he was Arsenal or Red Arrow. After several cases, Connor switched to a different file. The file with Poison Ivy's name had more…interesting cases. He winced internally when several of them involved Roy being drugged.

The next file name made Connor freeze though. "….Roy. This- This one says, Roy." He clicked on it. The file contained several videos, photos, and typed reports. 'This is what I was looking for…' There it was in front of him. Everything that had happened to Roy. He moved the mouse to click on one of them, but a hand suddenly settled on his. Connor blinked, then slowly looked up. "Uh…hi, Roy."

"Evening, Connor," Roy replied. His voice was neutral, but his mouth was set in a frown of displeasure.

"You're home early…"

"Am I though?"

"Uh…" Connor looked at the clock in the corner of a monitor. His stomach dropped. 11:45 pm. "Guess you're not…"

"Do you want to explain why you're 1) Not at home, 2) Not in bed, and 3) Inside the Bat-computer's files?"

"Well…I kind of lost track of time. And…I accidentally found the files. I didn't know they were at first."

"And what part of practicing your shooting required you to be on the monitors with my login and not yours?"

"…I just wanted to look…"

"Look at what?" Roy crossed his arms as he watched the teen swivel idly in the chair. Connor's fingers dimmed lightly off his legs and he refused to meet Roy's eyes. "Connor."

"…I just want to know what happened to you." Connor swallowed and glanced up at Roy, then back down. "With Oliver."

Roy sighed as he leaned against the desk and rubbed his face. "Connor-"

"I just want to know what happened!"

"You know what happened."

"No, I don't. Not really. You said he- that he abused and neglected you, but you never told me specifics."

"I didn't tell you because you don't need to know. Why do you want to know anyway?!"

"Because… I just do."

Roy shook his head. "Connor…listen…. What happened between me and Ollie has nothing to do with you."

"Easy for you to say! He isn't your father!"

'He was the closest thing I had for a while,' Roy thought with a wince.

"I just want to know what he was like. You know…besides being a murderer. I- I want to know why my mom would sleep with someone who was like that. You didn't know her, but she would never have had a relationship with someone so…awful!" Connor looked at Roy.

The man studied him for a moment before taking a deep breath. As he did, his eyes closed and he tipped his head back. He exhaled and let his head drop, but didn't open his eyes. "Oliver was…charming." Roy's face contorted a little as his mouth thinned and his fists clenched. "When you first met him, you would've never been able to guess what he was really like. He was like a chameleon who could blend in anywhere. When he wanted something from you, he was anything you wanted him to be. A friend, someone you could turn to. Oliver was charming and kind and generous and fun. Until he wasn't. But by the time you realized it, it was too late." Roy finally opened his eyes and gave Connor a sad look. "I can understand why your mom was attracted to Oliver and I understand why she wouldn't have told him he had a son. Because he was, as they say, the devil; but he looked like an angel. That's what your father was like."

Connor studied his hands for a moment. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to upset you. I just want to understand."

Roy put his hand on Connor's shoulder. "Maybe someday, I'll tell you the whole story. Every last detail. But for now, you know everything you need to know. Trust me when I say that you can't let Oliver's shadow cloud your future. Because he can cast a very deep and dark shadow if you let him."

"I understand." Connor looked back at the monitors, then quickly closed out of the files and logged out.

"Good."

"I'm in trouble though, aren't I?"

Roy sighed as he thought about it for a moment. "I think keeping you from patrol until Monday will be sufficient. Don't you?"

"…Sounds fair."

"Good. Now let's go. It's past your bedtime."

Connor stood and let Roy lead him out of the Arrow Cave. "How was your double-date?"

"Fun."

"I'm glad. You deserve to have fun."

"So do you kid."

'I don't need to have fun, I need to be a good hero. A great hero. My father's shadow will never be able to touch me then.'


	11. Nighttime Raid

A/N: Hello, wonderful readers! Please read the warning for this chapter. WARNING: discussions of human trafficking and past child sexual abuse, as well as implied statutory rape. However, nothing is discussed in detail or explicitly.

Please read on and leave a review.

[May 2014]

Red Arrow waited for Green Arrow to join him on a rooftop. The younger archer dropped down next to him and crouched down. "What's going on?" he asked.

"We're helping Detective Rodgseron," Red Arrow replied.

"…Are we helping him with or without his knowledge?"

"That's not the point. We have to start building a relationship with the police somehow."

"By showing up uninvited at their crime scenes?"

Red Arrow smiled. "Detective Rodgseron needed my help tracking down a missing girl as a P.I. We found her, but after he mentioned that he was working on a bug human trafficking bust tonight."

"And how did you figure out he'd be at this exact place?"

"Police radios." Red Arrow scanned the ground and spotted Detective Rodgerson on the edge of the motel parking lot. "Be right back, GA. Stay here and-"

"Stay vigilant. I got it."

Red Arrow nodded, then dropped from the roof of the building. It was only a two-story building, so he was able to drop to the ground and roll to absorb his momentum. "Good evening, Detective," he greeted.

"Evening, Archer," Detective Rodgerson said.

"Funny running into you here."

"Yeah…" There was a moment of awkward silence between them.

"So what's going on tonight?"

Rodgerson sighed a little. "I have intel that says this motel is a…hub for human trafficking."

"And do you need my help?"

"No! I don't need your help. The Star City police don't need the help of vigilantes." It was quiet for several seconds. "But…did me a favor by tipping me off about the bank robbers."

'And I'm sure the fact that every single one of them was arraigned with a list of felonies and will likely be going to prison for a long time has nothing to do with this,' Red Arrow thought. Building common ground and working relationship with at least a few police officers was always worth it to him. "Are you raiding this whole motel or..?"

"The second level rooms 212 through 216. That's the most narrowed down I could get my intel."

"Well, I appreciate the tip-off."

"Mhm…" Detective Rodgerson nodded. "Just don't mess this up."

"You got it." Red Arrow used a grapple arrow to climb back to the roof quickly and rejoined his partner. He watched Detective Rodgerson head back toward an unmarked police car as more cars, all with their lights off, slowly started pulling in. Red Arrow looked at Green Arrow, then nodded his head at the motel. "I was right about the police raiding this place," he said. "We're going to drop in and make sure everything goes smoothly. Neutralize any weapons and try to keep people from getting hurt. Got it?"

"I got it," Green Arrow replied.

"You'll be in an enclosed space, so keep the arrows to a minimum and be extremely careful of any you shoot."

"Ok." Green Arrow nodded as he mentally picked out arrows that he could successfully use in a motel room and keep damage to a minimum. 'We're making it safer for the police. Nice and simple.' It wasn't a glamorous or exciting job, but he didn't mind. As long as he was helping people, it didn't matter.

Red Arrow pointed at the motel that was below them in the adjacent property. "The police will be searching for rooms 212-216. I'll start at 212, you start at 216. Go in through a back window and do a quick sweep for weapons."

"Understood."

"Let's go." Red Arrow leaped from the rooftop with Green Arrow right behind him. The two vigilantes used the smallest ridges to lower themselves to the ground. They used the shadows to run across the nearly deserted back lot of the motel, then split up. Red Arrow looked up at the balcony, then climbed up the railing of the first floor. Standing on the metal bar, he could jump and grab the railing of the second-floor balcony. Red Arrow pulled himself onto the balcony— thankfully the shades were drawn across the doors— and he balanced across the top of the railing, then jumped to the window. His fingers clutched at the small ledge for a moment before he slid the window open. With a nearly silent grunt, Red Arrow heaved himself through the small window where he did a small flip as he landed. He landed in the bathroom, minus the sink and countertop, and carefully crept toward the door. It cracked open and he could only see the slightest movements of the people on the other side.

"—have clients to meet in 10 minutes!" a man snapped, clearly irritated. "Let's go."

"Beauty takes time, Richard," a young woman's voice replied.

"Yeah, we'll make more money if you actually give us more time to prepare," another, younger female voice added. There was a flash of someone's hand through the crack in the door, before it as jerked back. There was a yelp! and the unmistakable sound of someone being slapped. A jolt of anger went through Red Arrow was he flinched.

"Merchandise, Richard," the first female voice said. "You can't damage the merchandise."

"I wouldn't have to if that girl would stop talking back," the man, Richard, said. "Alexis, get her some cover-up. I don't want her to use this as an excuse for why she didn't meet her quota for the night."

"Just hope it doesn't swell," a third voice, Alexis, said.

Red Arrow moved back from the door and put his hand to his comm. "GA, you ready?" he asked in a voice barely above a whisper.

"I can hear the police coming," Green Arrow replied as he put his back in a corner. His bow was stowed on his back and his eyes were scanning the room intently. Unlike Red Arrow, the occupants of his room were asleep, allowing him to stand silently in the corner.

"Stay alert." Red Arrow instructed. The pounding of feet on the stairs outside pulled him back to his own room. He took a deep breath, then moved closer to the bathroom door again. It was largely silent from the occupants of the room, save for a few comments about make-up or outfits. Exactly 10 seconds later, there was a loud bang and frenzied shouting.

"Star City police!" a loud voice yelled. "Get on the ground, hands up!"

"What the fuck?!" one of the women yelled as Red Arrow stepped out of the bathroom. He immediately ran into two people, the man, who he assumed was Richard and a girl who clung to his hand like he was going to protect her from the police. Richard grabbed the arm of the girl who was clinging to him and threw her at Red Arrow. The vigilante caught her and the girl immediately started kicking him in the shins.

"Ow! Ow! Hey, stop it!" Red Arrow gasped.

"Let go!" the girl shouted.

"I don't want to hurt you!" The girl took a swing at him and Red Arrow grabbed her wrists. At some point in the chaos, someone turned the lights on. It gave Red Arrow a chance to get a good look at her face. She was young, obviously a teenager, with blonde hair and blue eyes. "Hey, don't I know you?"

The girl stopped struggling and gave him an obviously forced, confused look. "Uh…no?"

"Yeah, I do. It's…Maya- No, Mia! It's Mia, right?"

"…Yeah. You remembered?"

"Well…yeah." Red Arrow released her wrists and looked around. "Looks like all your friends are gone."

"Yeah…" Mia glanced toward the windows where the blue and red lights of police cars bounced around outside, then at the open sliding doors that led to the balcony. "Do you think he-"

"It's not far enough to kill him. Judging by his height, if he dropped from the balcony he'd be fine."

"Oh. Good." Mia looked at Red Arrow, then down at her wrists. The motion allowed the vigilante to see a half-covered up mark on her cheek.

"Did he hit you?"

Mia's eyes went from uncertain to defensive in a half a second. "What's it to you if he did?"

"I just to make sure you're ok."

"Is that why you're restraining me?" Red Arrow released her wrists and Mia crossed her arms stubbornly. She glanced around, but the room was empty except for them. It looked as though the police had left with the other two women in the room. "Are you going to take me to the police?"

"…I don't really have a choice."

"So they can arrest me like Alexis and Jessica?"

Red Arrow hesitated for a moment. "We don't have to go at the moment. We can stay here."

"Just to put off the inevitable?"

"Do you know of anything else we can do?"

"…You could just let me go."

"I can't do that."

"Why, because I'm a criminal?"

"No, because the authorities need to make sure you're ok."

Mia scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Please. I know what's going to happen. They'll send me to juvie or put me in a foster home- where I will run away. So you might as well just let me go now."

Red Arrow's comm beeped in his ear. "I'm moving to the third room now," Green Arrow said quietly. "How're you doing?"

'How am I doing?' Red Arrow thought as he watched the girl shifted on her feet. He put his hand on his comm slowly. "Keep going until Room 213, GA," he responded.

"Why, is everything ok?"

"Everything is fine, I just have something to take care of here."

"Ok."

Mia gave him an apprehensive look. "You letting me go, or what?"

Red Arrow was quiet for a moment. "If I let you go, where will you go?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean where will you sleep? Who will feed you? Clothe you? You're…16?"

"…14."

Red Arrow physically bit his tongue to keep himself from swearing. The outfit and make-up she was wearing made her look older than she was; which he supposed was probably the point. "That just proves my point even more."

Mia glared at him. "I'll find Richard and he can take care of me. Like he always has."

"Richard…the guy who hit you?"

"Don't say it like that. I- I was mouthing off to him and I know I shouldn't have done that."

"Mia-" Roy hesitated, knowing that trying to tackle that particular topic right now wouldn't get him far, so he took a different route. "Richard traffics you-"

"No, he doesn't! Trafficking happens to people who are kidnapped in white vans and tied up! I can leave at any time."

"…Can you?"

Something akin to fear flickered across Mia's face for a moment before she banished it and doubled-down on her glare. "Of course I can. I just choose to stay."

"Why?"

"Because- Because Richard loves me! He takes care of me!"

"By making you have sex with men for money?" While she was under the age of consent.

"He doesn't…make me. Richard took me in when I had nowhere to go and helped me when no one else cared what happened to me. So he asks me to help out by earning some money. I'm 14, how else am I supposed to do it?"

There was a long moment when Red Arrow didn't know how to respond, but Mia kept going.

"He does everything for me and all he asks in return is I do something for him. It's what any good girlfriend would do."

"And the two other women who were here…they're also his girlfriends?"

"So a guy can't have more than one girlfriend? Didn't know you were such a prude."

Red Arrow resisted the urge to sigh. 'How do I get through to her?' He hesitated for a moment before speaking again. "I know how it feels to think that you owe someone like that-"

Mia snorted. "Yeah, right."

"I do."

"Please, don't make up some stupid story to try and-" She stopped when Red Arrow pulled off one of his gloves and showed her his hand. Mia examined it cautiously. Her eyes slowly widened when she realized it was a burn scar. "Holy shit- What the fuck happened?!"

"Language When I was younger— I was your age actually— my…guardian was abusive. He hit me and neglected me. I had the opportunity to leave, but I didn't though because I was convinced I had to stay out of an obligation to him. But I didn't owe him anything and you don't owe…Richard anything."

Mia looked down to hide the unsure look on her face. "Maybe I don't owe him, but I want to do it."

"Do you?" There was no immediate response. Red Arrow tried not to sigh as he put his glove back on. "Mia, if you come with me, I promise I can get you help. I'll take you to people who will take care of you and you won't have to do this anymore."

Mia rolled her eyes. "Yeah… Sure…"

"I mean it. I'll be there with you-"

"Yeah, until you dump me with the police so you can move on with your life and never think about me again."

Red Arrow was quiet for a moment. "How about this, if you let me take you to the police, an officer who I trust and can attest for, and you go with them and do what they say…then I'll come to visit you."

"What if they send me to juvie?"

'If I have to I'll talk to Rodgerson and see if he can't pull a few strings to keep her out of there,' Red Arrow thought. 'She may have broken the law, but she's underaged and a victim. Not a hardened criminal.' He shrugged. "I have my ways. So, how about it?"

Mia mulled it over for a second. "You swear you'll come to check up on me?"

"Yes. I promise."

"…Fine." Logically, Mia knew she had no reason to trust the vigilante. 'Except he's helped me before and he…gets my situation. Kind of. Even if Richard will be pissed if I went with the police.' She glanced in the direction of the sliding doors as she followed Red Arrow out of the motel room. 'And it's not like it'll be forever. Just a few days. And it'll be nice to have a few nights off before Richard comes to get me.' Because he would come to get her. 'He always says I'm his favorite. It's just like a vacation. I'll be fine.'

Red Arrow led Mia outside and down the stairs to the parking lot. He did a quick scan of the area before he spotted Detective Rodgerson and looked back at Mia. "This way," he said.

Rodgerson gave him a look surprise, which quickly morphed into suspicion when he saw the teenage girl walking behind the vigilante. "What's going on?" he asked.

"Detective Rodgerson, this is Mia. Mia, this is Detective Rodgerson, he's a …ally of mine. We've worked together."

"Sup?" Mia nodded, crossing her arms to hide her uncertainty.

"Nice to meet you, Mia," Rodgerson greeted, most of his suspicion gone in a second.

"Mia is…one of the young women who were caught up in your raid," Red Arrow explained to the questioning look he got from the detective. "I assured her I would escort her safely to a responsible officer who will take care of her."

"Of course." Rodgerson smiled at Mia. "Why don't you come with me and I can take you down to the station."

"…Do I have a choice?"

Rodgerson opened his mouth, but Red Arrow jumped in before he could say anything. "Of course you have a choice," he said. "But we had a deal…remember?"

Mia nodded. "You'll keep your promise?"

"Of course. What kind of hero would I be if I didn't keep my word?"

Mia shrugged. "True, I guess. Ok, I'll go to the station."

"Good. Take it easy, kid, ok?"

"I'll…try."

"Ok. Detective."

"Archer," Rodgerson replied.

Red Arrow left and joined Green Arrow on the rooftop of the building where they'd been earlier that night. When he got to the rooftop, he looked back for a moment, but Mia had disappeared into the back of Detective Rodgerson's police car.

"Red Arrow?" Green Arrow asked. "Is everything ok?"

"Yeah… Everything's fine."

"Are you sure? Because you only swept one room and then you went radio silent for a while."

"I…was talking to someone." He sighed, then checked the time. "Let's go. We can probably get another couple hours of patrolling in before I have to get you home."

"We could stay out later tonight."

" Nope. You have school tomorrow."

"Ugh… Fine…"

— —

Mia didn't move until she'd watched Red Arrow disappear into the darkness. Only then did she turn to the man beside her. "Lead the way Detective Rogers," she said.

"Detective Rodgerson," he replied. "Come on."

'There's no sign of the others…' Mia thought. "Do you know where two girls named Alexis and Jessica are?"

"I don't. Were they in the room with you?"

"Yeah."

"Are they minors?"

"…No. Alexis is 18 and Jessica is 19."

"If they're adults then someone has probably already taken them to the station. Come on." He opened the back door of his car and Mia hesitated for a moment before she slid in.

The door closed and she put her hands in her lap and squeezed them into fists to try and hide the shaking. A shiver went down her spine as goosebumps rose on her arms. It was chilly in the car and the skimpy dress she was wearing wasn't doing anything to help. She kept her head down and tried not to let her hands rub her arms as the detective got in the driver's seat.

"Are you cold?"

"No. I'm fine." Mia looked out the window at the city as it passed. Her cheek was still stinging a little from when Richard had hit her earlier. 'I bet he won't even buy me a new necklace like last time. He'll just say this little vacation was all I needed. I wonder where he ran off to. If the police got him too or just me and the other girls.' The thoughts of her boyfriend stayed with Mia until they reached the police station. The detective helped her out of the car, then she followed him inside. There weren't a lot of people around, but the few that were turned their heads and stared at her. Mia felt her metaphorical hackles raise that the judgmental hardness in their gazes. 'Like none of them have ever seen a prostitute before,' she thought.

Detective Rodgerson led Mia into his office, then shut the door so it was only cracked open. "Ok, Mia," he said. "What's your last name?"

"…Dearden."

"Mia Dearden. Ok. Just wait a minute, Mia." Detective Rodgerson picked up his desk phone. "Hello, this Detective Micheal Rodgerson with the Star City police. I have a minor at the station who was picked up in a human trafficking sting and I need a caseworker. OK. Thank you." He hung up and looked at Mia. "Department of Human Services is sending a social worker over."

"Why do I need a social worker?"

"Well…It's the standard practice in these situations. Once I gather all the facts about your background, your social worker and I will make a determination about where you need to be in regards to going home."

Mia stiffened. "I don't want to go home. You might as well just send me to juvie."

"Why don't you want to go home?" All he got in response was a glare and Detective Rodgerson wisely decided to move on. "It's standard policy to run your name through our database for missing children. Any clue if it'll come up?"

"…Probably."

"Were you taken against your will?"

"No. I ran away from home when I 12."

"Why?"

Mia's hands clenched the seat of the chair where she was sitting. "…Because."

"Because, why?"

"Why do you need to know?"

"It's my job to know these things. I'll need to know what to tell the social worker who comes to collect you."

Mia bit her lip before slowly lowering her gaze to glare at the ground. Her voice visibly shook when she spoke again. "Because my dad was raping me every night."

"I'm very sorry to hear that, Mia. Was child protective services ever called?"

"No."

"Did you eve try to tell anyone?"

"No."

"And how long have you been trafficked-"

"I'm not being trafficked! Christ, why does everyone keep saying that?! Kids who get trafficked are snatched from playgrounds by pedophiles! That's not what happened! I ran away from home willingly because my dear old man wouldn't keep his hands off me and when Richard needed me to help out I agreed to the prostitution! It was all consensual!"

Detective Rodgerson tried not to blink. It was physically painful for him to see such a young girl so oblivious to the true nature of her situation. He wasn't, however, surprised. Having experience with trafficking victims, he knew what topics to push and which to let go. "Who's Richard?"

Mia tried not to gasp as cold fear flooded her veins and her heart stopped. 'Oh fuck. Fuck, tell me I didn't just give his name to the police?! Jesus fucking Christ, Mia, good job.' Her stomach churned at the thought of what Richard would say— what he would do— when he found out she'd just given his name to the police. "Th- That's not his real name! It's a fake!"

"A fake?"

"Yeah!"

"Ok." Detective Rodgerson made a note on his notepad. "Given your…situation. I'll probably recommend your social worker take you to an emergency foster home tonight."

"You're not going to arrest me for being a hooker?"

"No. While I do have to file a complaint in juvenile court, it'll be a few days before you have to appear before a judge and there are…other avenues we can pursue before considering criminal charges."

"Oh. Ok."

"Can you tell me your parent's names?"

"My dad's name is Travis Dearden and my mom's name is Lillian Dearden. Don't bother with my mom though. She ran out on me and my dad when I was young." She clenched her teeth. 'Which is when everything went to hell.'

"And what is your dad's last known address?"

Mia gave him the address of the tiny one-bedroom apartment where she and her dad had been living when she left for school one morning and never came home. "Why do you need to know if you're not sending me back?"

"We still need to do an investigation around the circumstances of you running away."

"Oh." Mia's stomach growled and she felt her face flush.

Detective Rodgerson merely smiled and pulled some money out of his wallet. "There's a vending machine down to the hall, take the first left. Go get yourself a snack. You earned it."

"Uh…Thanks." Mia took the money, then went off to find the vending machine. She kept an eye out for Alexis and Jessica as she walked, hoping she'd see them, but they were nowhere to be found. 'I wonder if they got in more trouble than I did because they're adults.' She hoped not. That seemed really unfair. After all, she'd consented to the sex they had just as much. Even if she didn't find her friends, she did find the vending machine and got herself a pack of gummy worms and a small bag of crackers. She tore into the gummy worms on her walk back to Rodgerson's office and was halfway through them by the time she got back. When she walked in, she was momentarily thrown off by the new addition sitting there. The newcomer was a middle-aged woman with dark brown hair who was surprisingly well put together for it befit the middle of the night.

"There she is," Detective Rodgerson said with a smile. He gestured to Mia as she sat in the other chair across the desk from him. "This is Mia Dearden. Mia, this is Sophie Greggs, your caseworker."

"Temporary caseworker," Sophie corrected as she held out her hand Mia. "You'll receive a more permanent social worker once we figure out what we're dealing with."

"Ok," Mia responded simply.

"Here." Sophie handed her a backpack. "There's a change of clothes in there for you."

"Oh… Thanks." Mia looked at Rodgerson, who nodded encouragingly.

"Bathroom's in the same hall as the vending machine."

"Why don't you go change while I talk to Detective Rodgerson?" Sophie suggested.

"Sure…" Mia agreed. She stuffed the rest of the gummy worms into her mouth, then grabbed a strap of the backpack. When she got to the bathroom, she locked herself in a stall and started pawing through the bag. Inside was a pair of jeans. a t-shirt, a pair of socks, underwear, a pair of shoes, a thin hoodie, and a set of pajamas. 'Just some essentials, then,' she thought as she wiggled out of the dress she was wearing. The jeans were a little big, but Mia simply used the small sash from the waist of her dress as a makeshift belt. Everything was too big, but it was better than nothing. She shoved her dress and heels into the bag, then exited the stall.

When she looked at herself in the mirror she was struck by how weird she looked now. Her hair and make-up looked so out of place with such bland clothing. She dropped the bag and grabbed several paper towels. Wetting them didn't remove the make-up as easily as make-up wipes, but it got the job done. Off came the eye shadow and mascara. Gone was the carefully applied concealer and contrast meant to make her look older than she really was. When she was done, Mia stared at herself in the mirror for a few seconds. The hoodie was too big, like everything else, hiding her body from the world; which was a stark difference from the types of clothes she'd worn the past year. She looked like a regular 14-year-old now.

'Except I'm not normal,' Mia thought as she grabbed the bag and left the bathroom; her bag of crackers stuffed into the front pocket of the hoodie. 'I'm a whore. A fucking prostitute. Richard may have his issues but he loves me for who I am. Maybe it's not a great life, but it's mine. This is just who I am. This is what it's been like the majority of my life. What other life could I have?' And who, in complete honesty, would be willing to give her a good life like Richard? Who would look at her and see anything other than what she currently was?


	12. Rooftop Meetings

A/N: For various reasons (including trying to adjust to my new glasses and my night class getting moved) I completely forgot to post this yesterday. WARNINGS: discussions of abuse and human trafficking. So here's the chapter today! Leave a review to let me know what you think.

Much like the public records in Gotham, hacking into the Department of Human Services database was far easier than Roy felt it should be; even for him. He went through recently acquired cases unit he found his girl.

Mia Dearden.

Roy sat back in his chair as his eyes skimmed down the file. She really was 14, just like she said. The picture of her in the file, wearing an over-sized, thin hoodie without make-up, took Roy by surprise. 'Damn…she looks really…young in this picture. She actually looks 14.' After Mia's background information, there was an evaluation of her home life. What he read there caused Roy's blood to run cold.

Homelife Evaluation: Mia has accused her father, Travis Dearden, of sexual abuse taking place over the course of several years and this, has been cited as the reason for her running away at the age of 12. The police have attempted to contact Travis Dearden, but he no longer resides in the residence listed in Mia's missing person's file. Detective William Rodgerson of the Star City Police Department, as well as caseworker Sophie Greggs, have attempted to contact Travis Dearden, but all attempts were unsuccessful and his current whereabouts are unknown. Given this information, a judge declared Mia Dearden an official ward of the state.

'Oh God, this poor kid…' Roy intertwined his fingers to rest his head on them. 'I should go see her, Just…see how she's doing. It's been a few days, they should've given her a placement by now.' Plus, he promised. A quick search of the file gave him an answer. 'Evergreen Home for Girls. Sounds like some kind of group home.' He quickly saved Mia's file, then picked up his bow as he stood. "Connor!" he called to the teen. "Let's go!"

"Already?" Connor asked, quickly securing his mask to his face. "It's a little early, don't you think?"

"Yeah, well…I have something I want to take care of. Let's go."

— —

The Evergreen Home for Girls was a four-story, brick building with a small patch of green in front of the concrete steps that was surrounded by a metal fence. The whole building was dark as Red Arrow surveyed the building from across the street.

"What're we doing here?" Green Arrow asked, clearly confused.

"I have…someone to check on," Red Arrow replied.

"What am I supposed to do?"

"Uh…stay within a 7 block radius and patrol it."

"On my own?"

"Yeah, just be careful and contact me if you need help."

Confusion over his mentor's actions was quickly replaced with excitement as Green Arrow smiled. "Ok!" He stood, then ran across the rooftop to the next one, looking for criminals to take down by himself.

After the younger vigilante left, Red Arrow stood and made his way down to the street. He crossed, then easily jumped the fence around the building and scaled up the fire escape. Not wanting to be seen, he quickly ducked his head toward the windows. Each one had a similar setup— a room with three sets of bunks beds (one against each wall) and each bed a young girl slept soundly. None of them noticed the vigilante looking in for a second as he searched for the girl he needed. Finally, on the fourth floor, he found her. Mia was the only awake in her room, staring at the wall while everyone else was fast asleep. Red Arrow debated silently for a moment, then quietly rapped a knuckle against the glass.

Mia's head shot up and she jerked back in surprise for a moment. Then she moved toward the window and unlocked it. "What're you doing here?" she whispered.

"I said I'd come to check on you," Red Arrow replied in a hushed tone.

"Oh." Mia glanced back as one of the other girls tossed in her sleep. "Hang on." She slid the window open a little farther, then climbed out onto the fire escape. "I don't want to wake anyone up. They have some pretty strict rules about light out here."

"Want to talk on the roof?"

Mia shrugged. "Sure." She followed Red Arrow up the fire escape to the roof, then sat beside him on the edge.

"So… How've you been?"

"…Fine. I guess."

"Do you…like living here? Are they good for you?"

Mia shrugged. "It was this or juvie."

"Really?"

"Yeah. The…case worker lady brought me to a judge and he said there was a bed open here at Evergreen Home, so I could take that or spend 6 months in juvie for prostitution."

"I see. Why this place though?"

"It's like…a half-way house/shelter for…people like me."

"People like you?"

"Well…my caseworker said it's a special group home for victims of human trafficking, but I wasn't being trafficked."

'Sure…' Red Arrow decided to let that point go for the moment. "I see. Well, is it nice?"

"Yeah. The bed's a little uncomfortable, but the food's good."

"That's nice. I remember what it was like having good, consistent meals for the first time. It was one of the things I liked the most about my new home at first."

"Yeah. It's nice that no one gives me a minimum quota for how much money I need to make in a night in order to eat."

Red Arrow closed his eyes for a moment to control the mix of anger and horror inside of him. "…That's good."

"It's kind of hard adjusting to having a normal schedule though, you know? I'm used to working all night and sleeping during the day."

"You'll adjust over time."

"I hope not. It'll make it so much harder to get back into the swing of things when I go back."

Red Arrow hesitated for a moment, then made a decision about where to take the conversation. "Mia, and there's no wrong answer to this, do you want to go back?"

"Well…obviously. I love Richard and he loves me. Maybe my life is a little…unconventional for a 14-year-old girl, but you fight crime dressed as Robin Hood's Angry Cousin, so who're you to judge?"

"Even if it's a life where you have to make a certain amount of money to eat?"

"…That's not the point. No one's perfect."

"Mhm." Red Arrow sighed internally. 'She just needs time. Once she starts to integrate back into society she'll realize she's better off without that…Richard.' Who was definitely on Red Arrow's list. But helping Mia was his main priority now. "Is there anything you need?"

"Need?"

"You know..clothes, a hairbrush? If you need anything I can get it for you."

Mia tensed a little and leaned away from him. "In exchange for what?"

"Nothing!"

"Yeah, sure."

"I mean it-"

Mia glared at him. "I'm not an idiot, I know how these things work."

"That's not how they work with me. How about this, you give me one small thing you need, anything at all, and I'll bring it to you. Then, if you feel comfortable later on, you can ask for another thing. But I promise, at no point will I feel like you owe me, nor do I want any kind of sexual favors in exchange for doing this."

Mia stared at him for a long moment. "…Ok. A hairbrush. I don't have one."

"Then I'll bring you one in a couple days. Promise."

"…I think I should try to get some sleep."

"Go ahead. I don't want to keep you awake." Red Arrow stood and held out his hand to help Mia stand, but she brushed it off and stood on her own. The archer simply ignored it and followed her back to the fire escape. "Sleep well, Mia."

"…Yeah, whatever," Mia muttered as she climbed back through the window.

Red Arrow waited until the window shut before he returned to the roof, then started running across the buildings. "Green Arrow?" he said into his comm. "You there?"

"I'm here," Green Arrow replied. "I just stopped a mugger on the corner of Ninth and Gravehill Rd."

"Ok. I'll be right there." Red Arrow couldn't help but glanced back at the Evergreen Home as he left. 'I know you don't trust me yet, Mia, and you don't have a lot of reason to, but you deserve to have someone trustworthy in your life. You deserve to have better people in your life.'

— —

A couple of nights later, Red Arrow returned to the Evergreen Home for Girls. This time he went straight to Mia's window and gave it a light knock. Nothing happened, so he knocked again. This time the window opened and Mia stuck her head out. "You're here," she said, voice suspicious.

"I am. Do you want to talk on the roof again?"

"…Do I have a choice?"

"Absolutely! If you don't want to come, then I can just give you the hairbrush and say goodnight."

Mia glanced back at the darkened room behind her, then shrugged. "Screw it." She climbed out the window and once again followed Red Arrow the rooftop. Again, they sat on the edge of the roof, but this time Mia sat with half a foot of space between them. If Red Arrow noticed he didn't comment on it.

"Here you go." Red Arrow took out the new hairbrush he'd bought from one of his leg punches and slid it across the roof to her. "It's yellow, I don't know if you like that color."

"…It's ok." Mia glanced at him, then slowly picked up the hairbrush. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. So…how've you been?"

"Fine. The girl in the bunk above me is leaving tomorrow. She's going to a foster home in Coast City."

"Nice. Is that the..goal?"

"Mhm. Evergreen is supposed to function as this…safe space for girls in the life to adjust before going home or wherever their social workers think they should be."

"What do you think about that?"

"I think for the girls who were trafficked, that's great."

"But it's not for you."

"Exactly. And besides, I'm perfectly happy with my life the way it is."

"I'm sure." Red Arrow thought for a moment while his fingers tapped his bow. "What are the things you don't like about your life? You know, in general?"

"What were the things you didn't like about having an abusive guardian?"

Red Arrow knew the reply was meant to throw him off and change the subject, but he simply nodded slowly in response. "Ok, I'll go first. I didn't like being afraid of him all the time. I didn't like how unpredictable he was. I hated that he would hurt me and starve me. In the two years I lived with him he isolated me so successfully from others that I was perpetually lonely and desperate for friendship. There was a lot I hated about it."

"…Was there anything you liked?"

"…He was a great archer. I loved learning from him and how much better my skills were under his tutelage. I liked him when he was in a good mood. He was kind and personable. Just a guy you'd want to hang out with."

"So it wasn't all bad?"

"No, it wasn't. But eventually, I realized the good things weren't making up for the bad things. No matter how badly I wanted them too."

"Did you ever want to leave?"

"Yeah. It took me a while to believe I could have a better life. Thankfully, I had some very patient people in my life."

Mia looked down at her bare feet and was quiet for a minute. She played idly with the yellow hairbrush. "What color hairbrush do you have?"

"Black." The conversation lapsed into silence, but Red Arrow didn't mind. Years of stakeouts had made him comfortable with sitting in silence for long periods of time.

Eventually, Mia spoke quietly, but it was so quiet that Red Arrow almost didn't hear. "I don't like how unpredictable Richard can be either. He really scares me sometimes."

Red Arrow nodded. "It's hard, right? Living on eggshells?"

"Yeah, but…. I love him. He's all that I have. What else can I do?"

'He doesn't have to be,' Red Arrow thought. 'You have a chance to get away from him, you need to take it. I swear life will get so much better when you let in people who care and want to help you.' He knew he couldn't say anything though. If he came on too strong, it would only scare Mia off. If he wanted her to trust him, then he needed to be slow with her.

"I think I should go to bed."

"Yeah. It's late." Red Arrow stood and let Mia walk away ahead of him as they returned to the fire escape. "Good-night, Mia."

"Night, Red Arrow." Mia started to climb back down the fire escape, then stopped. "And…thanks for the hairbrush."

"You're welcome. Sleep well."

"Thanks. Kickass, I guess."

"Thanks." Red Arrow water until he heard the window of her room slide shut before he put his hand on his comm. "Green Arrow?" he asked.

"Here," Green Arrow replied. "I'm on a side street called…Looper. Chasing a purse snatcher."

"I'm on my way for back up."

— —

Three days later, Red Arrow returned again to Evergreen Home for Girls. When he tapped on Mia's window and it opened only ten seconds later.

"You're late," Mia whispered as she climbed out.

"Sorry. We ran into a car thief on our way, so I had to take care of him," Red Arrow replied. Your voice is a little rough, are you sick?"

"Just got a sore throat. It's fine. My caseworker has to take me to a doctor for a check-up in a few weeks anyway."

"Ok."

"So, the car thief, did you kick his ass?"

"More like I scared him off with a flash grenade arrow."

"Flash grenade arrow?! Cool…"

Red Arrow gave her a smile and followed her up to the roof. "Does no one really notice that you come up here every few days?"

"Nah. Everyone else is asleep and the women who run this place sleep on the second floor, so it's not like they're gonna notice."

"How are the women who run the home?" Red Arrow sat on the edge of the roof and Mia sat down half a foot from him.

"They're nice enough. They feed us and you know…give us beds. They're pretty average." Which wasn't at all standard for Mia's life. It was the first time she'd been under the authority of adults who weren't trying to hurt or use her for something.

"What'd you guys do all day?"

"Well, some of the girls go to school. You know, the ones they trust not to bolt the seconds they let them out of the gate. Mostly I help with chores, this week I have to help with dishes, and we have a small library full of books they salvage from the 'Free' box at a nearby library. We have a merit system where doing chores and doing certain activities, like participating in crafts or reading gets you stars."

"Do the stars get you rewards?"

"Yeah. Mostly field trips. If I'm good all week, I get to go to the park on Saturday."

Red Arrow laughed at her tone. "You sound thrilled about that."

"Who doesn't want to go to the park, except dogs and rich people from the 1800s."

"…Rich people in the 1800's?"

"Isn't that what they did back then?"

"Probably."

"What do you do all day?"

"Well…I have a day job."

"Something good I hope. I can't imagine the fearsome vigilante who chases down car thieves is like…a dog groomer or nanny when the sun is up."

Red Arrow snickered. "I'm not a nanny and I defiantly don't groom dogs. I'm actually a private detective."

"…Ok, I'll admit that's pretty cool. Why did you decide to do that?"

"Because it's a good way to help people. You'd be surprised how many abusive spouses, partners, and parents use a private detective to track down their victims. I make sure the victims are ok, collect my fee, then turn the evidence I collected of the abuse over to the police."

"That's…actually really cool. You know, that you care so much."

"I do."

"It's because you were…you know…"

"Abused? It's ok, you can say it. I was abused."

"Ok. Is it because you were abused?"

"Yes. I know how the victims feel, so I want to do everything I can to help them."

"Guess you're a real hero."

"I try to be."

'I wish I could be more like him,' Mia thought sadly. 'He's so…kind and brave and…heroic. Who wouldn't want to be like him?'

"You know…at least when you go to the park you'll be getting out of the house for a little while."

"…You're right and I hate it." Mia rubbed her eyes. "I'm not used to being in one place for this long— hell I'm not used to sleeping in one place for this long. A change of scenery would be nice, even if it's just going to the park." She gave him a look. "God, I hate you."

"I'm heartbroken."

Mia snorted and rolled her eyes. "Whatever." She eyed Red Arrow's bow. "So…you any good with that thing?"

"I'm very good."

"How good exactly?"

"I can pin someone to a wall by the collar of their shirt. Without hurting them."

"…Damn, that is pretty impressive. How'd you learn to shoot?"

"My adoptive dad taught me when I was really young and then my abusive guardian…continued it." Red Arrow held it out to her. "I can teach you to shoot it if you want."

"…Hell yeah." Mia got to her feet as she took the bow from him. "So how does this work, do I just…put the arrow on?"

"Not quite." Red Arrow went through the motions of showing her how to hold the bow and what kind of stance to use. It took long enough that by the time he was finished, Mia was yawning. "I think it's time to call it for the night."

"…Yeah, I guess. Gotta be wide awake when we make bracelets with little plastic beads tomorrow."

Red Arrow laughed a little. "Do you need anything next time I come?"

Mia's body tensed and she put her arms around her chest. "No."

"I'm not going to ask for anything in return, Mia. Did I when I gave you the hairbrush?"

'That's true and…I did establish he was a good-guy-hero.' She sighed. "Some hair ties?"

"Hair-ties. Got it. Good-night, Mia."

"Night, Red Arrow. See you in a couple days."

"See you in a couple days."

— —

Red Arrow contained to see Mia every few days for the next couple of weeks. Their frequent trips to the girls' home weren't unnoticed by Connor though. While he enjoyed the time he got to do solo work, it was weird how Roy kept going back to the group home. When he asked though, Roy glaze dove the question, refusing to give him a straight answer.

"I'm just following up with a case," Red Arrow said as he put his mask on.

"But why?" Green Arrow asked as he filled his quiver.

"Just…because." While Red Arrow felt bad about hiding his visits to Mia from Connor, he didn't want to scare her. She was tense enough around him, he didn't she would react well to another guy being there as well. "Let's go."

"Are we stopping by the Evergreen Home for Girls?"

"Yes, and you get to keep patrolling on your own."

"….Great." Something in Green Arrow's chest twisted a little at how his mentor apparently wanted to be there instead of on the streets with him. He kept his comment sot himself though and soon enough Red Arrow let him off the bike they shared. Green Arrow repeated the boundaries he was supposed to stay inside, then got to work. At first, it was pretty peaceful. The neighborhood's crime rate seemed to be slightly below average compared to the rest of Star. Half an hour passed without a single crime being committed. Green Arrow wandered the streets, his eyes searching for anything. 'I could go to Evergreen. See what this…case follow-up that Roy's been so interested in is about.'

It felt wrong to spy on his mentor like that. Especially a mentor who was sensitive about certain things.

'But if it's really for a case…shouldn't I be involved? We're partners, I should know what's going on.'

And Roy was a great mentor. He'd never kept important information from Connor before. If there was information important to a case, he'd definitely tell Connor about it.

'Maybe it's some kind of test. Like…I'm supposed to be figuring out if there's important information from these visits. Plus it would give me a chance to practice my stealth skills.' Green Arrow nodded to himself. 'Ok.' He was only a couple of blocks from the group home, so he headed in its direction. When he arrived on the street, he snuck across and up the side of a building on a fire escape. He ran across the rooftops until he got to one next to the group home. There was a large chimney on the roof, so he hid behind it. A glance at the rooftop next door told him Red Arrow was completely unaware of his arrival, so he settled down to spy.

"—so, I guess it's just weird he hasn't come yet," the girl sitting next to Red Arrow said. They weren't talking quietly, but the silence on the street it made easy to hear them. "It's been a couple of weeks I just…I thought he'd have shown up by now."

"I know," Red Arrow replied. "I felt the same after I left Star. I kept thinking my guardian would show up and take me back."

"…Did you want to go back?"

"I did at first. I was so convinced that he cared about me, that loved me, I thought that if I was better, if I behaved, then he'd stop hurting me. But eventually, I realized that where I was…it was a better place. I was better off."

"Better off…" It almost sounded like the girl was rolling her eyes.

"I was. Things got a lot better when I accepted that."

'He's talking about…my father…' Green Arrow realized. 'He's talking about the abuse…' It was like a punch to the gut and the young vigilante had to put his hand against the chimney to steady himself. His eyes burned a little as he swallowed and tilted his head down. It hurt that Red Arrow was willing to share details of his past with this girl, and not his own protege. 'I shouldn't be surprised,' he thought. 'Roy might be nice to me and let me patrol with him as a vigilante…but I'm still Oliver's son. I'm still the son of the man who made his life a nightmare. Of course, he doesn't trust me completely.' Even if it was obvious, it still hurt. He moved away from the chimney, sprinting across the rooftops and zip-lining across streets until he was a few blocks away. When he finally stopped Green Arrow took a few deep breaths to try and calm himself down.

'You knew Roy didn't like you,' he reminded himself as he looked for a criminal to take his mind off everything. 'You knew that. Even if he's being nice, even if he celebrates holidays with you, and takes you out for ice cream when you do well on a test.' Even if Roy was nice, he didn't trust Connor; and the teen doubted he ever truly would. Green Arrow steeled himself and tried to ignore the nauseated feeling in his gut. 'It's the same as anyone else who ever finds out who my dad is. I just have to keep being a hero. Maybe if I become a good enough hero it won't matter who my dad is.' He genuinely hoped so, but part of him wasn't optimistic.

— —

A week later, Roy was looking forward to his visit with Mia. She'd warmed up to him with his visits over the last month, though she would still abruptly end their conversation and return to her room if he broached a subject she didn't like or pushed too hard on a sensitive topic. 'But we're still making progress,' he thought as he dressed in his suit. 'She still talks to me and that's what I want. I want to show her that it's good for her to trust people and open up.' He grabbed his bow and quiver. "Connor!" he called. "Are you ready?"

"Uh-huh," Connor replied as he tied the ends of his mask around his head. "I'm ready." He headed for the bike without saying another word to his mentor.

'He's been acting really weird lately,' Red Arrow thought as he followed the younger archer. 'Very distant and quiet. Even for him.' But he didn't have much time to contemplate it, because he wanted to stop in and see Mia before he continued with his and Green Arrow's patrol. So dropped his protege off a few blocks from the Evergreen Home for Girls, then headed there himself. When he got there the window was already open. He still raised his hand to tap on the glass, but Mia appeared in front of him before he could. "Hey, I- Mia, are you ok?"

Mia's eyes were red and puffy, and there was an obvious tremor in her hands. "Roof…" she whispered, voice trembling. She climbed out the window without another word and led Red Arrow up to the roof.

'Why is she upset?' Red Arrow worried as he followed. 'I haven't seen her this upset before.' Mia was usually a little rough and tough around the edges. Seeing her this upset and vulnerable was a little unnerving. When he got to the roof, Red Arrow noticed that Mia made no move to sit down, instead she crossed her arms tightly across her chest. "Mia, what's wrong?" He didn't get a response. "What happened? Mia-" Red Arrow reached out for her, but Mia stepped back and smacked his hand away.

"Don't touch me!" she snapped, clearly holding back tears. "I'm… Just don't."

"Mia, please tell me what's wrong."

"I can't."

That sent alarms bells going off in Red Arrow's head. "Why not?"

"Because you won't want to be around me when I tell you."

"I promise that won't happen." Mia didn't respond. "Whatever happened, I promise it won't make me want to stop being around you. Have I ever broken a promise to you before?"

"…No."

"So?"

Mia sniffed and sighed. "I- I went to the doctor today for a physical. They took some blood to run a bunch of tests."

"Ok…."

There were a few seconds of silence, then Mia pointedly looked down as tears spilled down her cheeks. "I found out-" She let out a quiet sob. "I'm HIV positive."

Red Arrow's stomach dropped down to his feet. "Oh, Mia…" He reached out for her again, but she pushed his hand away. "I'm sorry."

"Don't touch me. I'm dirty."

"You're not."

"I am! You think I don't know that's what people will think when they find out?!" Mia's hands balled into fists at her sides. "I'm already a fucking prostitute and now I have a god damned STD and I'm not even old enough to drive!"

"I know this seems challenging-"

"Challenging doesn't even being to fucking cover it! Even if I wanted to leave the life, who would take me in now?! Why would anyone want someone as dirty as me?! Why would anyone want me when they find out?!"

"Because it doesn't matter! It doesn't matter, Mia. You're still the same smart, tenacious, and perceptive girl you've always been. You just…have some unique health problems now."

"And what foster parent would find it at all worth their time to deal with those health issues?"

"…I will."

Mia blinked and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right."

"I'm serious. Come live with me. I already have one charge, a boy your aged named Connor."

"A boy?"

"He's a nice kid. He was living in a Buddhist monastery with minks until his mom died."

"…You're currently raising a teenaged monk?"

"Not exactly. But he's a good kid and so are you. If you want out of this life, then come live with me and I can help you."

"Why? Why do you want to help me?"

"Because you're a good kid and you deserve a break."

"Are you serious?"

"I am. In fact, to show you how serious I am…" Red Arrow reached up and took his mask off. If it wasn't for who heavy the air was between them, he would've smiled at the look of shock on Mia's face. "My name is Roy Harper, but I go by the name Raymond Wayne for various, complicated reasons."

Mia stared at him for a long moment before she closed her mouth. "Guess you're pretty serious…" She looked at the roof while she traced it with her toe for a few seconds. "…Ok. I- I'll come live with you."

Red Arrow gave her a small smile. "Good. I'll contact your caseworker first thing in the morning." He reached out slowly, but Mia gave him a warning look and he quickly let his hand drop.

"And what will…what's his name…Carter, think of this?"

"His name is Connor and I don't think he'll mind." At least, he won't once Roy explains the situation. "It's going to be ok, Mia. You'll see."

'He's such a good-guy-hero,' Mia thought as she stared at him warily. 'And I wish I could believe him. I really wish I could.'


	13. Mia's First Day

A/N: Here's the new chapter. Leave a review and let me know what you think.

"Are you sure about this?" Connor asked Roy as he handed him the drill and a screw.

"I am," Roy replied as he drilled the screw into the wood of the bed frame. "Do you not want Mia living here?"

"No…" Connor looked at the tools and grabbed another screw to hand to Roy. 'It's nothing against her. I'm sure she's really nice… I just don't want Roy to get rid of me.' Raising two teenagers on top of being a vigilante would be a lot of work and if Roy decided he could only handle one of them, it didn't seem like a difficult choice. On the one hand, was this innocent teenage girl who'd been a victim of human trafficking and bonded with Roy over their respective traumas; and on the other hand, was the son of Oliver Queen. Yeah, it wouldn't be a difficult choice.

"Then why do you keep asking if I'm sure about taking her in?"

"…Because it's going to be a lot for you."

"I know…but I can't turn my back on her. The same way I couldn't turn my back on you."

'To be fair I forced that on you.' Connor picked up another screw and handed it to Roy. "Is she going to be a vigilante too?"

"Being a vigilante is not a requirement to live here."

"But it helps."

Roy chuckled. "Yeah, it does help." He set the drill aside and shook the bed frame of the bunk-beds. "Ok. Help me lift it."

Connor nodded as he stood and grabbed one end of the double frame. He helped Roy stand it from its sideways position on the floor. "It looks good."

"Yeah, I think so. Grab the other end of the mattress." They slid the mattress on to the top bunk, then the second one onto the bottom bunk. Roy grabbed a package of the new bedding and tossed it to Connor. "Start making the bottom one."

Connor looked at the bedding, light blue with two white stripes running down it, with matching pillowcases and light blue sheets. "Do we have to have the same blankets?"

"Yes, because I don't know which bed each of you will sleep on."

"How do we decide?"

"You and Mia can work it out between yourselves when she gets here." Roy finished making the top bunk and stepped back to survey the room while Connor picked up the trash and shoved it into a large box. With the bunk beds against the wall, it left plenty of room for the second desk and second dresser he'd had to add. 'If this doesn't work I might need to think about finding a new apartment with three bedrooms.' He helped Connor gather up the trash and dragged the huge box from the room. "Ok, we'll take this downstairs, then I have to go pick up Mia."

"Do you want me to come?"

"No, stay here. You'll meet her when we get back."

"Ok." Part of Connor was intrigued to meet her, and the other part didn't want to meet the girl who could end up replacing him in Roy's life. 'Maybe I should give her the benefit of a doubt. Maybe it won't be all that bad having another kid here.'

— —

Roy arrived at the Evergreen Home for Girls in his newish car and got out. It wasn't his first official visit here since he'd "anonymously" been asked to try and track down Mia's father (which had been unfortunately unsuccessful). A meeting that had resulted in him taking a liking to Mia and requesting the chance to foster her. Which had required not only an interview with Mia's case worker but an interview with the women who ran the home. They were incredibly invested in making sure the girls went to homes where they weren't going to be taken advantage of. 'I'm kind of glad they're so thorough,' Roy thought as he climbed the front steps and knocked on the door. 'These girls need someone to look out for them.'

The door opened and Amy Simmons opened it. "Raymond Wayne," she greeted. "Come in, we're expecting you. Mia's all ready."

"Good." Roy followed her into the front office where Mia was sitting in a chair, a backpack on the floor by her feet. "Her permanent caseworker, Julia Smith, was sitting in a chair next to her. "Nice to see you again, Mia."

"You too," Mia said quietly.

"Julia."

"Raymond." Julia gestured for him to sit. "We just have a couple of things to discuss before you take Mia home."

"Of course."

"Now, you fully understand Mia's health problems and that it will be your responsibility to make sure she gets her medications and keeps up with them. It's also your responsibility to take her to doctor's appointments."

"I understand."

"I spoke with the judge and part of the agreement to release Mia from the group home early is that she will attend group therapy at the Women and Children's Resource Center."

"I think that would be a great idea."

"I'm glad." Sophie looked at Mia. "Behave yourself, Mia."

"Mhm…" Mia hummed.

"If that's all, we should probably get going." Everyone stood and Roy once again shook the hands of the two women. "Thank you, both. Come on, Mia."

"Later." Mia grabbed her backpack and followed Roy out of the group home.

"How're you today?"

"Fine. I've started taking my anti-viral meds and some…other meds that stops an enzyme of something. It's supposed to stop the virus from infecting my T-cells, and a couple of other cells. I don't fully understand how it all works. They're making me take five different medications."

"Yeah, I know. Your file had a list of all the medications the doctor prescribed and I did my own research on them."

"Why?"

"I just…wanted to be knowledgeable about your situation. So I know how to best help you."

"Oh." Mia got into the passenger seat of the car and looked around. "Nice ride."

"It's new. I had a motorcycle, but I can't exactly fit you and Connor on that."

"He didn't want to sit in a side-car?" Mia almost smiled, but then she remembered what was coming. So she looked out the window, looking for a distraction. "Is Connor going to like me?"

"Of course. You guys will get along great. I was thinking that once you get settled in we can go out and get you some clothes."

"I have clothes." Mia pet the backpack by her legs.

"How many outfits do you have?"

"….Two if you out the dress I was wearing when we first met."

"Ok, so one." He saw the look on her face from the corner of his eye and resisted the urge to sigh. 'I'm starting to really appreciate everything Bruce went through with me.' This was an interesting experience already. "I'll tell you the same thing I told Connor, you need at least enough clothes for one fit each day of the week."

"…I guess." Mia didn't want to piss Roy off after only being with him for roughly 20 minutes.

"Ok." Roy hesitated for a moment before continuing. "So…I know it's summer, but I'd like to take you to the middle school Connor goes to and see what we're going to do about that."

"What do you mean?"

"Well…according to your file you haven't gone to school in almost three years. So re-enrolling you might be a little…challenging."

"Do I have to go to school?"

"Yes. You absolutely have to go to school. Don't worry about it right now. Today we'll shop, get some dinner. It'll be fun."

"Sure. Fun." Mia was quiet as they arrived at Roy's apartment. They got out and she followed up the stairs. Inside it was…cozy. However, the first thing she noticed wasn't the bookshelves or pictures, or anything else that made it feel homey. No, the first thing she noticed was the teenaged boy sitting on the couch. He was looking at something in his lap but looked up when Roy tapped the top of his head.

"Mia, this is Connor Hawke," Roy said. "Connor, this is Mia Dearden. The newest addition to our…group."

Connor stood, setting a book on the coffee table, then approached Mia and held out his hand. "Hi, it's nice to meet you," he said.

"You too," Mia replied, although she didn't move to shake his hand.

Connor let it drop. 'What else do I say?' he wondered. Several seconds passed in silence before he looked at their guardian.

Roy simply smiled, trying to ignore the awkwardness. "Why don't you show Mia to your guys' room?" he suggested.

"Sure," Connor replied. He gestured for Mia to follow and led her to their, now shared, bedroom. "This is our room. Uh…Roy said we need to decide between ourselves who gets which bunk."

Mia studied the beds for a moment before nodding and throwing her backpack onto the top bunk. "That one's mine," she said. Her voice was firm, with a hint of finality, and the tenseness in her muscles suggested she was ready for a fight.

"But-" Connor stopped, remembering what Roy said about making Mia feel welcome (and he wanted to cause as little trouble as possible) so he simply nodded. "Ok. Go ahead."

Mia looked around, some of the tenseness leaving her body. The wall opposite the bunk beds had two desks, with a closet door between them. On the wall next to the door was a bookcase and the wall across from it had two dressers. "Roomy…"

"Yeah… It is… Uh…I cleared off some space for you on the bookcase if you have anything you want to put on there."

"I don't." Mia looked around, then looked at Connor, then looked around the room again. She crossed her arms, then glanced back at her roommate, who was looking at the floor. 'This isn't weird or anything.'

The two of them stood silently for a couple of minutes until Roy knocked gently on the open door. "How're things going in here?" he asked, aware of the awkward tension in the room as soon as he entered.

"Fine," Connor and Mia said at the same time, then actively stepped away from each other after it happened.

"Good. Why don't we go to the store and get Mia some clothes?"

"All of us?" Connor asked.

"Yes, all of us. Come on." Roy didn't miss the semi-wary looks Connor and Mia gave each other as they left. 'Well…it's probably not bad. Of course, they're not going to get along right away. It's not like they have a lot in common. Once they get to know each other better, things won't be so awkward. They just need some time.'

— —

Shopping was an interesting experience. Having never been a teenage girl, Roy was really unsure about what Mia needed or would want. Even if he had known though, it quickly became obvious that many of the clothes were embrue revealing than Mia was comfortable with. All Roy had to do was hold something up and she'd glance away and shift uncomfortably before mumbling about it being ok. It at least gave Roy a starting point on what kind of clothes to buy her.

"Come on, Mia," he encouraged as he held up a shirt. "Do you like this shirt?"

"…It's alright," she said.

"Just alright?" Roy looked at Connor. "What'd you think, Connor?" Instead of replying, Connor simply shook his head in response. Resisting the urge to sigh, Roy put the shirt down. "Mia, remember what I said. It's my job to supply you with the basic essentials; which includes clothing. You need enough clothes to have a week's worth of outfits." She still looked away. "I swear, Mia, I will never demand anything in return for anything I give you. You don't even have to say thank you if you don't want to."

'This has to be too good to be true,' Mia thought as she followed Roy through the store. 'No one is this nice just to be nice. No one. Especially adults. He has to want something from me.' She glanced at Connor, but he simply looked unhappy to be dragged along. 'And then there's him. I don't know what to do with him yet.' They stopped again and she sighed internally. 'As much as I hate to admit it, I do need some clothes. Especially if I fully decide to leave the life behind.' Mia wasn't completely sold on the idea of leaving behind her night work, but she was open to trying the "normal" thing again. Or for the first time. Whatever. And she didn't want to go around, pissing off Roy on her first day living with him, so she started putting a little effort into the shopping trip. She picked out simple jeans and t-shirts, nothing with a neckline too deep. They weren't anything fancy, but at least it would be something.

It put Roy a better mood to see Mia participating in the shopping. Even when he noticed that she was choosing clothes that were plain (jeans and t-shirts in solid colors) and on the bigger side that they would be slightly baggy and hide her frame, he was only slightly saddened. 'I wish she didn't feel like she needs to hide, but I completely understand why she'd want to.' He was also very aware that covering herself like this would probably be on the mild side of reactions Mia could have to what she'd been through. 'One thing at a time. Today, clothes and getting her settled. In a couple days, school. One step at a time.' He looked at Connor. "What'd you think about Mia's new clothes?"

"They're…pretty?" Connor replied, unsure if that was the correct response. "And…nice."

"Pretty and nice," Mia muttered. "Such high praise."

The group lapsed into an awkward silence, so Roy paid for the clothes, handed one bag to Mia and one bag to Connor, then led them to the shoe store.

"I have shoes," Mia protested.

"Do they fit you properly?"

"…They're not too tight."

"Are they too big?"

"That just means I'll grow into them. You won't need to buy me shoes for months."

"I want you to have shoes that fit properly. Just a pair of sneakers. They can be the cheapest pair in here if you want."

Mia studied him for a moment. "Fine." She turned on her heel and marched straight to the clearance bin full of shoes. It only took her a couple of minutes to dig through the entire bin and pull out a pair. A quick glance at the size under the tongue of the shoe confirmed it was her size, then she held them up for Roy by the tied-together laces. They were scuffed and a tie-dyed rainbow of colors.

"If those are the shoes you want then, those are the ones we'll get."

"Cool." Mia tossed the shoes to Roy as she walked toward him. "Then I want these."

"Fine."

'He's stubborn,' Mia thought as she watched him buy the shoes. 'I like that, but I'll find his limit eventually. We'll see if I can trust him. If he's really such a nice-guy-hero underneath.'

After shoe shopping, Roy glanced back at his teenage companions, both of whom were silent and standing as far from each other as the sidewalk would allow. "Are you guys hungry? Connor?"

"Yeah," Connor replied.

"Mia?"

"Mhm…" Mia hummed.

"Guess we'll grab an early dinner, then. Come on, I now just the place." Roy led them to a great burger place on the next block. It remained quiet and heavy between the two teens as they sat at a table. When the waitress came over, Roy ordered them three sodas, then tried to think of how to break the silence. "Don't worry Connor, they have veggie burgers here. No meat."

"That's good," Connor nodded as he looked at the menu.

"Are you a vegetarian?" Mia asked, a hint of surprise in her voice.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I'm Buddhist."

"That doesn't really explain anything."

Before Connor could reply, the waitress bought them their drinks and they placed their orders. Connor played with his straw wrapper for a moment before answering. "I believe that life is sacred and it's unjust to kill a sentient being…including animals."

"So Buddhists are vegetarians?"

"Not all of them. But I am."

"Oh…" Mia started playing with her own straw wrapper. 'Roy did say he lived with monks. Guess he wasn't exaggerating.'

"Cooking for Connor has shown me the versatility of tofu," Roy joked. "And not all of it is bad."

"I have a hard time believing that."

"You'll see. We'll prove her wrong, right, Connor?"

"…Sure."

'Great vote of confidence.' They lapsed into silence once more and Roy resisted the urge to sigh. 'They've only known each other a few hours,' he reminded himself. 'They'll warm up to each other when they get to know each other more.'

Unfortunately, it didn't look like that would be happening. The two teens are silent as they ate their dinners, only really responding to Roy and saying the bare minimum to each other when prompted. It was obvious to him that neither knew what to think or do with the other. so, when they finished, Roy led them back to the apartment silently, but still cheerily. When they got there he looked at the time.

"Ok, Connor go help Mia put the bags in your guys' room," Roy instructed. "Then we need to get ready for patrol." He looked at Mia. "Will you be ok here by yourself, or do you want us to stay? Or I can leave Connor here with you if you want."

"No," Mia replaced quickly. "It's- It's fine. I'll be fine. I can take care of myself."

"Ok. Only if you're sure though-"

"I'm not a child, Roy! I'll be fine!"

"Ok. Ok. Keep the door locked, don't answer it for anyone. Don't….burn the building down or anything like that. Feel free to watch tv or read or…whatever. Got it?"

"Got it."

Roy nodded to Connor, who grabbed one of the bags and brought it into their bedroom.

After a moment, Mia followed him. 'I don't care if Connor is a monk or…whatever,' she thought. 'I'm not being left alone with him. I'd try not to sleep in the same room with him if I could.' She crossed her arms and leaned against the bunks beds, staring at him. "So you're a vigilante too?" she asked.

"Yeah," Connor replied.

"What's like?"

"…Great. There's…nothing like it."

"Really?"

"You get to help people. Make their nights better. Protect them. Every day you know you made a difference in someone's life. You get to be a hero."

"Huh." The conversation ended there and it remained silent as Connor left. Mia didn't move until she heard the apartment door close. She sighed and began putting her new clothes away in the empty dresser. 'This is kind of perfect,' she thought to herself. 'Roy and Connor will be gone for a while, so I can look around. See if Roy is really as nice as he seems.' No one was as nice as they seemed. The nicer people were, the harder they were trying to hide their real intentions.

When she finished putting away her few measly belongings, she started looking around. The bedroom opened to a short hall, with a bathroom at the end on the left, and another room next door on the right. Mia went to the second room and tested the doorknob. The door wasn't locked, so she let herself in. Roy's room was…normal looking. A large bed, a dresser, and a tv. The most eye-catching thing was the rack with four bows on it. Mia examined them closely and picked up the closest one. She tried pulling back the string, but it barely moved an inch. Rolling her eyes, Mia put the bow back, then turned around. On the other side of the room was sliding closet doors and rows of metals hanging on hooks. Drawn to the medals, Mia walked over to look closer. She touched one, a gold one, and frowned a little. 'He must be like…really good at archery,' she thought as she flipped the medal over and read the label on the back. It had the name of a tournament and a year. Mia did some mental math. 'He would've been…12 probably when he won this. And it says it's from the adult division… Jeez…'

Next Mia moved to the closet doors and slid one open. She eyed a long, wooden box on the shelf. 'Wonder what he's hiding in there?' She stood on her toes to reach the box and carefully slid it down. 'It's light. Doesn't feel like there's a lot in there.' Box in hand, Mia knelt on the carpet and set the box in front of her. It was nice, painted a shiny black and had metal clasps keeping it closed. 'Whatever's in here must be important.' She undid the clasps, then lifted the hinged top. "A…bow?" she frowned. Inside the box, which was lined with incredibly soft material, was a bow that was cradled gently in a small valley of the inside material. Very carefully, Mia picked up the bow. It was wooden and badly burned as if someone had briefly set it on fire. "That's…weird. Why would he have a burned up bow in a nice box like this?" Something in her gut told her the box had been custom made just for this bow. "What's so important about it?"

Not having any answers, Mia gently put the bow back, then closed the box. After she returned it to the closet, she kept rummaging around. There was another box on top of the one with the bow, a blue box, so she grabbed that one next. The top pulled off and she looked inside it. There was an old copy of Peter Pan, as well as some random things like a comb, a pocket knife, and a folded up red hoodie on the bottom. 'Why does he have a box of random stuff?' She took out the hoodie and let it unfold. 'Definitely too small for him… Looks like it's meant for a pre-teen or something.' Maybe it was Roy's when he was younger. This could've been a box of his things from when he was a teenager.

"They probably have…sentimental value." Mia shrugged as she carefully folded the hoodie, put everything back in the box, then returned the box to its spot in the closet. Everything else in the closet was pretty normal. Clothes and shoes, etc. Nothing extremely out of the ordinary. So, Mia shut the closet door and took another look around. The bookshelf contained several pictures, most of them with Roy. One showed Roy sitting in front of a large, grand Christmas tree, a teenage boy with black hair just behind him with his arms around his neck, and another boy next to him with Roy's arm over his shoulders, the boy's head leaning against Roy's chest. It was a nice picture. Familial. Many of the pictures showed Roy with another man, holding hands, hugging, kissing, laughing. "Boyfriend…?" Mia wondered. She went through the bedside table and found a box of condoms. "Definitely boyfriend. Good for him." She shut the drawer, then look under the bed.

It turns out to bed empty, so Mia left Roy's bedroom, making sure to shut the door behind her, and walked into the living room. There wasn't much to find here. Books and movies. All the standard things you'd expect in a 21-year-old's apartment. Nothing suspicious in the slightest. In the end, Mia had to sit on the couch and sigh. She ran her hands through her hair. "This is so dumb," she muttered. "It's so dumb." And yet it didn't feel dumb. All Mia's experience with men thus far was that they never had good intentions. Not where she was concerned anyway. "If he is planning something…he's hiding it really well." Or not well, depending on how you looked at it. He did just buy her a bunch of stuff. "When it does go sideways, I won't stick around that long."

A time tested strategy. If Roy did turn out to be like every other adult male in her life, she could just leave. "Find Richard and…go back to normalcy." Mia got up and went to her bedroom. She grabbed the backpack her social worker had given her, then dug through her dresser. She put a change of clothes in the bag, then went to the kitchen. She rummaged through the cupboards until she found several granola bars. As she passed the table, she saw a small stack of folded bills. Mia hesitated for a moment, then slowly picked up the roll. She ran her finger over the edges of the bills. After another moment of hesitation, she took a breath and pulled a random bill from the middle of the stack. It was a $20. She took one more, then quickly put the stack back and went back to her room. She shoved the food and money into the front pouch of her bag, then hid the bag in the bottom drawer of the dresser.

Suddenly exhausted, Mia put her pajamas on but hesitated before she got into the bed. It was the top bunk, up high where it would be difficult for someone to sneak up on her. Even so, she couldn't help but feel the tell-tale beating of her heart in her chest at the thought of sleeping and letting her guard down in a strange place. Especially since she'd be sharing the room with a boy she didn't know. Mia quickly went to Roy's room and retrieved the blue box from his closet. She took out the pocket knife, then set the box back in its place. The knife now in hand, she returned to her own bedroom and climbed into the top bunk.

Mia hid the knife under the pillow, inside the pillowcase, then rolled onto her side and closed her eyes. 'I don't get Roy… Or Connor… Or this place… Why are they like this? What are they getting at?'

'Every day you know you made a difference in someone's life. You get to be a hero,' Connor's words echoed in her mind.

"…I'm hardly a hero. Definitely not anyone's first choice for one either." But she could see the appeal of that kind of life. And it strongly appealed to her.


	14. Obstacles on the Road

A/N: I remembered to update today and had time to after stressing over a paper, lol. Enjoy and leave a review to let me know what you think!

Mia eyed the middle school Roy had parked in front of with suspicion. "Do we really have to worry about this right now?" she asked.

"Yes," Roy replied. "You haven't been to a school in almost three years. I know from personal experience how challenging it is to get caught up academically when you're that far behind."

"So you've gone bad to school after years?"

"Uh…not exactly. I was homeschooled."

"Well, why can't we do that?"

"Because I want you and Connor to have as normal lives as possible. That means going to school."

"School's stupid."

"School is important. It won't be so bad. Come on." Roy got out of the car and Mia sighed before following. "It's the same school Connor goes to, so you'll already know one person."

'And that person is the near-silent boy who barely makes eye contact with me, let alone talk to me.' Plus, Connor had already been in this school for pretty much an entire school year. He probably had friends and wouldn't want his foster sister hanging around. Mia kept her complaints to herself though. She followed Roy into the main office and hung back as he talked to the secretary. Eventually, they were directed to sit in some chairs to wait. Mia crossed her arms and resisted the urge to look around. 'I haven't been to school in years.' And it wasn't like she'd been a great student before that.

"Raymond Wayne?" a man asked as he stepped out of his office. Roy stood and shook his hand. "Howard Walterson, I'm one of the assistant principals. Come into my office. One of our guidance counselors will be joining us shortly."

"Sounds good," Roy replied. He gestured to Mia and she reluctantly walked over to them. "This is Mia."

"Nice to meet you, Mia," Mr. Walterson said.

Mia noticed that he didn't hold out his hand to shake, but she didn't particularly care. After a moment, Roy put his hand on Mia's back as he led her into the small office. The two of them sat in the two chairs across the desk from the administrator.

"I understand one of your foster kids already attends our school?"

"Yes, Connor Hawke. He'll be in the 8th grade this year."

"Ok. Mia, you've attended schools in the Star City Public School District before, right?"

"Yeah…" Mia replied.

"That's good. I'll just pull up your records."

There was a knock on the door and another man entered. "Hello," he smiled. "I'm Kevin Addams. The 8th-grade guidance counselor here."

"Raymond Wayne," Roy said, shaking his hand.

"Yes, I remember you when you enrolled Connor Hawke." Mr. Addams looked at Mia. "You must be Mia Dearden. Welcome to Eastside Middle School."

"Thanks," Mia replied.

Mr. Addams sat on the edge of Mr. Walterson's desk and looked at his computer. "What school are you transferring from, Mia?"

"…Redwood Middle School."

"Have you been homeschooled for the last few years? Or did you leave Star City?"

Mia bit her lip, then looked at Roy. 'What am I supposed to tell them?!'

Thankfully, Roy seemed on top of it. He put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, but she shook it off. "Mia hasn't been in school for a few years," he explained. "She had some…home life difficulties."

"I see. Mia, what was the last grade you completed?"

"Uh….5th grade?" Mia guessed.

"I see." Mr. Addams looked at Mia's record on the computer, then shared a meaningful look with Mr. Walterson. "Mr. Wayne-"

"Raymond," Roy said.

"Raymond, do you think we could speak privately?"

Mia bristled. "If you're talking about me, I want to stay," she told them. She gave Roy a challenging look and he shrugged.

"Ok, then… Given the…special circumstances Mia's faced and her record, I'm not positive that this school is the best place for her."

Roy frowned in confusion. "What do you mean? This is the middle school for our neighborhood."

"I'm aware but… I'm afraid that the curriculum might be a little…challenging."

"You think I'm dumb?" Mia asked with narrowed eyes.

"No, not at all!"

Mr. Walterson held up his hand to stop his colleague. "Mia is already several years behind her cohorts and her records show she was far from a stellar student before she left school. She barely passed the 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades…and she was on track to fail out of 6th grade completely. She also has a history of disciplinary problems from acting out in class and being aggressive toward the other students."

"Connor also had a history of aggressive behavior."

"Connor is a…different case. He didn't have the added academic pressures that Mia has."

'Of course, Connor is different,' Mia thought bitterly. 'He essentially went to a private religious school for years.'

Roy blinked and squeezed his knees with his hands. "I don't understand… If you don't want Mia attending this school, what school should she attend?"

"Mountain Ridge Elementary?" Mr. Addams suggested quietly.

"…You want me to send her to an elementary school- She's 14!"

"I understand it may be difficult for her socially, but it would be the best option academically."

"But you had no problems with Connor being slightly behind the curve academically?"

"Connor was different. Mia is much farther behind and she's hardly proficient in the standards of the lower grades," Mr. Walterson explained. "And frankly…we don't have the resources to catch her up enough to join her peers."

"Not to mention most students with Mia's…background tend to disappear and reappear in schools all the time. It's hardly worth all the resources we'd have to invest. We have almost 800 other students to think about."

Roy narrowed his eyes. "So you think trying to help her get caught up wouldn't be worth the resources…because she's a runaway?" He glanced at Mia felt his heart twist at the look on her face. Without hesitation, Roy stood up. "Thank you, I think we're done here."

"We can call Mountain Ridge Elementary so they know to expect you-" Mr. Addams began, but Roy held up his hand.

"That won't be necessary. I'll find a school for Mia myself." He gestured for her to stand and steered her out of the office. Before he left, he looked back at the two men. "And I'll be un-enrolling Connor as well." It was silent as they left the school. Roy was fuming and Mia's cheeks were burning. When they got in the car, Roy didn't move for several seconds. "…I'm so sorry Mia," he told her gently. "I…never imagined they'd say something like that."

"I could've told you they would," Mia muttered. She grit her teeth to try and keep the tears at bay. "Me and teachers have just…never gotten along."

"It's ridiculous." Roy started driving home. "Don't listen to them, anyway. I'll find a new school for you that will find it worth their precious time to help you succeed."

'God, the thought of being in an elementary school at my age is humiliating,' Mia thought as she watched the city go by outside the window. 'I'd rather just drop out.' She crossed her arms. "Do I really need school? I can just work with you at your private detective agency."

"No, you're going to school. I just need to do some research on schools in our area. I'll find a good one for you, I promise."

"…You don't need to go to all that trouble…"

"It's no trouble. I want you to have a good education and you deserve that."

Mia just continued looking out the window. 'School and I have never gotten along,' she thought. "Why is this so important to you?"

Roy was quiet for a minute. "When I lived in Star the first time…my guardian was Oliver Queen."

"That rich guy who went missing?"

"Yeah. He didn't let me go to school when I lived with him, because he wants to control me. It was like…an extension of his abuse. I left school in the 6th grade and didn't really have an education until I went to live in Gotham. I just don't want you to miss out."

"…Makes sense." Damn, there he was being the nice-guy-hero again.

When they got home, Connor was reading in the living room. He looked up when they walked in and immediately picked up on the tension in their bodies. "Everything go ok?" he asked.

"Not exactly…" Roy replied as he gently corralled Mia to sit on the couch. "Mia won't be going to Eastside Middle School. And you're not going back in the fall."

"Why?"

"It's not important. You two just relax, I've got some schools to look into."

Connor went back to his book as Roy left. As soon as he and Mia were alone though, she started talking.

"Go ahead and ask," Mia grumbled. "I know you want to."

"I'm fine if you don't want to talk about it," Connor replied, glancing up from his book.

"You're not at all curious?"

"Well…I'm curious, but if you don't want to talk about, then I won't force you." He waited but Mia simply looked away, so Connor simply shrugged and went back to his book.

Mia crossed her arms and pulled her legs close to her body. "They think I'm too stupid to be in the 8th grade. They don't want a former prostitute running around their precious school."

Connor frowned. "Did they really say they didn't want you at the school because you were…you know?"

"They didn't say as much, but I knew what they meant. There's only one way people talk about you like that."

"Oh…"

Mia played with her hair for a few minutes. "I'm sorry Roy is making you change schools."

"It's ok. I don't mind."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I don't like school anyway."

"You won't miss your friends?"

"I don't have any."

"Oh." Mia glanced at him from the corner of her eye, but Connor was still reading. It was silent between the two of them for a while before Mia spoke again. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"How did you become a vigilante?"

Connor looked up from his book. "…I- I told Roy that if he didn't let me stay here and be his sidekick, I'd become a solo vigilante in San Fransisco. Which would've been a lot more dangerous."

Mia blinked. "You actually did that…like…you?"

"Yes. I'm not proud...but I did."

"Why was being a vigilante so important to you?"

Connor looked at his book but didn't resume his reading. "Reasons…"

"Like?"

Connor sighed. "My father…he's the Green Arrow."

Mia's head snapped toward him and her eyes widened. "No."

"Yeah."

"No! Your father is there Green Arrow- Your mom had sex with the Green Arrow?!"

"Can you not?!" Connor squeezed his hand to try and keep it from shaking. "Please just…don't."

"Sorry. So…that's why? You became a vigilante because your dad- Wait, is this the same Green Arrow who abused Roy when he was a kid?"

Connor flinched, but nodded, not trusting his voice if he spoke. He swallowed against how suddenly nauseated he felt.

"Oh my God…" Mia didn't know what else to say. What else could she say? 'I can't even believe it. Connor doesn't even eat meat, but his father beat the shit out of Roy daily?!' And Roy had taken Connor in knowing that. There was his nice-guy-hero complex again. She looked away and slowly grabbed the tv remote. 'But I don't have some kind of…weird sense of guilt like Connor does. And I don't really have a way to force Roy to let me become a vigilante if I wanted to. Because I don't know if I want to. Why should I? Don't I have more important things to be worried about? Like being dumb for the rest of my life?' The thought sent a shiver down her spine. The thought made her wonder if maybe she should just go back to the streets and track down Richard. She squirmed when she thought about him.

Even if it was nice to not have to be working at night, Mia couldn't stop herself from missing Ricard. Even if he was the reason she'd needed to be a prostitute. Even if he'd slap her and the other girls around if he thought they were out of line. 'At least I always knew what his intentions were and where I stood with him,' she thought as she stopped flipping through the channels to land on a movie. 'I still don't know either of those things with Roy.' And it drove her crazy. The constant underlying buzz of anxiety sometimes made the ache in her chest for Richard (and his familiarity) even worse. She shifted and changed the channel again, looking for something to distract herself with. Something to calm the uncertainty inside of her.

— —

That night, Mia said bye to Roy and Connor like she had the past couple of nights when they left for patrol; whoever, unlike those nights, on this night, she followed them. Trailing the two vigilantes wasn't easy. She left the apartment a few minutes after they did and followed them down the block, jumping behind buildings and cars to hide every few minutes. 'I can be sneaky,' Mia thought as she stopped behind the edge of a building for a few seconds. 'I could be a vigilante. She followed them down several side streets until they reached a fence and disappeared through it. Mia waited a few seconds, then followed. She let herself in through the gap and stepped into a yard behind a four-story building. It sort of reminded her of Evergreen. There was no sign of Connor or Roy, so she headed for the back door of the building.

"Mia," a voice said behind her.

Mia spun around on her hell and raised her fists. "Who's there?" she asked in what she hoped was a tough voice.

"Easy, kid," Roy said as he walked out of the show of the fence with his hands up. "It's just me."

"Oh." Mia relaxed her fists and wrapped her arms around herself. "You scared me."

"Sorry. I just…do that sometimes. What're you doing here?"

"I…wanted to see your headquarters. You know, your secret lair."

"Why?"

'To figure out if the vigilante thing is for me. To find some kind of meaning in my life besides a past that left me with a disease that literally weakens me.' Mia shrugged. "I just…wanted to see."

Roy considered it for a second. 'It can't hurt,' he thought. 'It's not like she's showing an interest in night work anyway. And maybe it'll help her connect if she understands the work Connor and I do.' So, he nodded and gave her a small smile. "Follow me."

'Really?' Mia thought as she trailed after Roy into the building. 'It was that easy?' The door was still unlocked when they walked in and she looked around. "Are we…at your office?"

"We are. I own this whole building and the land it's on." Roy walked over to the staircase, which Connor had closed upon his descent (as was their policy) and lifted the step to undo the latch.

Mia's eyes widened as several stairs dropped down to reveal a hidden staircase. "Dramatic."

"Thanks. Come on, this way."

There was a moment of hesitation in Mia's mind, but she pushed past it and followed Roy down the steps. 'I have to be brave if I want to fight crime. And I'm not a coward.' At the bottom of the stairs, Mia tried to keep her face neutral. This was the coolest room she'd ever been in. The computers. The weapons. It was all so…comic book-esque. And she honestly loved it.

"What's she doing here?" Connor asked. He was wearing his suit, but without the mask or weapons. He looked at Roy for answers.

"Mia wanted to see the Arrow Cave," Roy explained.

"Arrow Cave?" Mia snorted. "That's so lame."

"It is not."

"It is and it doesn't even make any sense."

"How? Batman has a Bat Cave."

"That's different. Bats live in caves." She looked at Roy. "You should call it the Quiver."

"I'm not doing that."

Mia turned to Connor, but he was looking at the floor. 'Some help he is.'

'Quiver is a better name than Arrow Cave,' Connor thought. 'But I don't want to agree with her. If Mia becomes a vigilante, she and Roy will grow even closer and it'll make it easier for her to replace me.' Not to mention it would give her one more common ground with his mentor.

"Other than the perfectly valid name, what do you think?" Roy asked.

"It's…cool," Mia admitted. "Really cool."

"I'm glad you like it."

Mia wandered toward the weaponry area, eyes scanning the arrows excitedly. "Can I shoot one?"

"A trick arrow? Those are dangerous to use inside."

"A regular one then?"

Roy shrugged. "Sure." He walked over and grabbed a compound bow off a rack. It only took him a couple of minutes to lower the draw strength enough that he was pretty sure Mia could handle it. "Try pulling back that string. It's one of my old bows from my days as Arsenal."

Mia took the bow and pulled back the bowstring. "I got this." She held out her hand for an arrow.

"Let me show you how to shoot it." Roy grabbed a regular arrow from the rack, then led Mia to one of the two targets. "Ok, let's start with your stance."

Connor watched Roy show Mia how to shoot, trying desperately to keep himself from getting upset. It wasn't easy though. His stomach twisted and minutes ticked by. 'Come on, Roy,' Connor thought. He glanced at the time, then back at Roy, who as smiling as he helped Mia with her grip on the bow. 'Let's go on patrol!' Fear and anger crept up his insides. 'Roy already has a sidekick. Me.' Now Mia would become an archer and it would be one more thing she had in common with Roy; taking over the one thing Connor had with him. 'Anger isn't good. Neither is jealousy.' So, Connor did the one thing he could do, he found a corner of the Arrow Cave to sit and tried to meditate away his jealousy and fears.

— —

When Mia's arrow finally hit the target, Roy smiled widely and gave her a pat on the back. "Great job!" he cheered.

"It's so far from the center," Mia said with a face.

"I know, but you still hit the target. That's really good for a first try."

"It was like…the tenth arrow I shot."

"Still really impressive."

"Thanks." Mia looked at the arrow and felt something warm and strange blossoming in her chest. 'And I didn't even have to sleep with enough men to make a few hundred bucks to feel this proud.' It was a nice change. And if she joined Roy and Connor, she could feel like this more often. She Roy in the eyes. "I want to be a vigilante."

Roy blinked and across the room, Connor's eyes snapped open from his meditation. "What- Why?"

"Because I want to." What other reason did he need?

"No."

"Why not?!"

'Because I'm already putting one child at risk, I don't need more,' Roy thought. "It's too dangerous."

"So it's not too dangerous for Connor, but it is for me?" Mia crossed her arms. "Seems kind of sexist to me."

Roy sighed and shook his head. "Connor is different."

"Why?"

"It just is! We need to get to patrol, so you need to go home."

"But-"

"Come on." Roy started walking toward the stairs, clearly ending the conversation.

Mia watched him go with her eyes narrowed, then huffed and threw her bow down before following; silently glowering at her guardian's back.

"Connor, I'm taking Mia home. I'll be back soon and then we'll patrol."

"Ok." Connor watched them go silently, then closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. 'Mia's going to replace me,' he thought. 'She'll find a way to become a vigilante and then she'll replace. Roy will see die away and I'll be alone. I'll never be a great hero and I'll end up being like Oliver. Just like Mom warned me!' Connor squeezed his fists as his lungs struggled against the sudden shores of breath in his chest. Nausea churned in his stomach and he so dizzy that even sitting down he felt leak he would fall over. 'Breathing,' he thought, forcing his lungs to inhale and exhale in small, slow gasps. 'Start with mindful breathing.' Connor focused on his breathing, then moved his awareness further out in his body to his posture. He carefully pushed each racing thought from his mind, placing less attention on them and more on his body. Slowly, his heart rate slowed and his chest stopped hurting.

When Connor eventually opened his eyes again, he was still a little sweaty, but he wasn't disoriented and he could breathe, so it felt better. He slowly got to his feet and walked over to where Mia had dropped the bow. He picked it up, then looked at the arrow still lodged in the target. 'This is the best hobby anyone could ask for,' he thought. 'I'm sure she'd be a great vigilante too. She's a lot like Roy. She'd deeply connect with victims and really be able to make them feel safe and help them.' He knew it was selfish. He knew it was wrong, but Connor couldn't bring himself to accept the idea of Mia being a vigilante. 'It's nothing against her, but I need this. I have to be here. I just have to be.'

— —

Mia didn't talk to Roy as he dropped her off at the apartment and slammed the door in his face before he could say anything to her. "What a jerk," she grumbled as she stomped to the bedroom she shared with Connor. The same Connor who could run around at night, risking his life for others, but she couldn't. "Of course he likes Connor more. Connor's a good little monk who barely makes a sound. He's a fucking vegetarian! Why wouldn't Roy want him as his sidekick instead of someone like me." Mia tried to ignore the burning in her eyes as she changed into her pajamas. "He says he wants to help me, but he won't let me do it in my own way."

Frustrated and upset, Mia crawled onto the top bunk and wrapped herself in her blankets. She rolled until she was basically a burrito, then buried her face in the pillow. If she didn't want to go back to her night work, and she couldn't establish a new life as a hero like she wanted…then where did that leave her? What other path was there? Eventually, Mia managed to fall into a fitful sleep, her dreams filled with hands grabbing and pinning her down and doing whatever the hell they wanted.


	15. Bonding Time

A/N: Here's the next chapter! Enjoy and leave a review to let me know what you think!

"Good news," Roy said cheerfully as he served Mia breakfast. "I think I found a school for you guys." When he didn't get a response, he kept going. "It's a private, charter school called Star City Charter Academy. I'm going to meet with one of their counselors to get an idea of their views on keeping you in the 8th grade. I'll be a few hours, so don't burn the place down while I'm gone. OK?" He only got a nod in response. "Connor's still sleeping, so let him be."

"You two have a busy night?" Mia asked, a hint of bitterness to her voice.

Roy sighed and resisted the urge to wrap his arms around himself. "I know you're disappointed in my repose, Mia, but I'm trying to protect you."

"And not Connor?"

"I didn't even want to let Connor be a vigilante. It's so dangerous to do this stuff Mia, and I don't want to be responsible if something happens to you guys."

Mia glared at her omelet. "I'm more than capable of taking care of myself."

"I'm not saying you're not. I just want you to understand why I said no."

'Because you like Connor more than me.' Mia shrugged and started stabbing her omelet with her fork.

When Mia didn't say anything else, Roy nodded to himself. "Ok. I'll see you in a few hours. There's another omelet in the fridge for Connor, he can warm it up on the stove when he wakes up." No response. "Alright then, see you in a few." He grabbed his work bag, which had copies of Connor and Mia's school and DHS files, and left.

As soon as the door closed, Mia stopped killing her omelet and started eating it. 'There has to be a way to become a vigilante,' she thought. She could always force Roy to let her become a vigilante like Connor did. But the thought made her stomach clench. 'But he's been so nice to me. Even if it is a façade, doing something like that might push him too far.' She sighed and took another harsh bite of her breakfast, 'There has to be a way.' Mia looked around as she thought and her eye happened to catch the eye of the clock. "Huh…. It's almost 10 and Connor is still in bed?" That was so uncharacteristic for him, even if he and Roy had been out extra late. Usually, Connor was up by sunrise for his first meditation of the day.

Feeling suspicious, Mia got up and made her way over to the bedroom. She opened the door, expecting to see Connor still sleeping in bed. Instead, he was awake and sitting by the window. At first, Mia thought he was meditating, but then she noticed how he sat. His knees were drawn up to his chest and even from the door, Mia could tell he was tense. "Uh…Connor?" Mia asked tentatively. "Are you busy?" There was no verbal response, but Connor did shrug his shoulders. "Ok…" She hesitated in the doorway for a few moments, looking around as if the solution to this situation was written on the walls somewhere. "Is…everything ok?" Another shoulder shrug. Mia took a few steps into the room. She looked around but stopped when she got to the bookshelf. "Hey, Connor, the picture of you and your mom is gone. Did it fall, or-" Mia stopped when a quiet sob came from Connor. "Connor?"

" 'm fine, Mia…" Connor whispered, his voice tense and wet. "Jus' go…"

'Yeah, he sounds completely fine.' Mia took a few steps closer. "Come on, Connor. If something's wrong you can tell me." She waited but didn't get a response. 'Ok, so he got even more upset when I mentioned the picture.' Maybe it had something to do with that. "Did the picture frame break? Because we could fix it or Roy would buy you a new one, I'm sure…" Her voice trailed off when Connor shook his head. 'Not that. Then what? It has to be something with that picture.' Mia frowned a little more as she crept closer and saw Connor's arms were closed in front of his chest awkwardly like he was holding something. Was Connor hiding the picture? But why would he be holding the picture of him and his mom while he cried… Mia's eyes widened as it hit her. "Connor… Your mom…when did she like…die?"

"Today…last year…"

'Oh shit…' Mia shifted on her feet uncomfortably. "Uh…" She ventured closer, then knelt down on the floor beside him. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Connor shrugged. "Nothin' to talk about. My mom was in an accident, she died, and I never saw her again…" He started crying over the photo.

"Uh… Oh God, I don't know what I'm doing." Mia thought for a moment. How was she supposed to react? "Talk to me." Connor shook his head. "No? Ok…" Not knowing what else to do, she put her arm around Connor. It was awkward and weirdly informal given the lack of familiarity between them. But Mia held fast, feeling more awkward not doing anything than sitting here with her arm over Connor's shoulder. "If this gets too weird…I can stop." Connor shook his head. "Ok then." Mia held him close while he cited for a while.

Eventually, Connor stopped and wiped his eyes. "I miss her so much, Mia…" he muttered. "When I was at the monastery I'd write her a letter every week."

"What was in the letters?"

"How my studies were. My Aikido. My archery. Things that happened."

"Sounds…nice. Did she write back?"

"Every week. She always told me how proud she was of my progress and how much she missed me."

"It was…probably hard for her to be away from you." Mia winced at how callous it sounded. "Sorry. I don't exactly have experience with loving parents so I'm not sure what to say here." Connor kept crying and she looked around again. "You know what, let's get out of here."

Connor frowned at her. "Where?"

"Uh….The Quiver! We can shoot or…fight. Whatever you want. We just need to get your mind off everything."

"I don't know…"

"It'll be fun. We don't even have to get dressed. We can go in our pajamas." Mia waited for a response, but Connor just stared at the floor listlessly. "Come on, Connor." She grabbed his arm gently and pulled him to his feet with little effort. "It'll be great." She pulled him toward the door but stopped to carefully remove the picture from his hands and set it on his bed. "Get your shoes on. I'll write a note for Roy so he doesn't freak when we're not here later." Without wilting to see if Connor would respond, she dashed into the kitchen, tossed out the rest of her omelet, then scribbled a quick note to Roy about where they were. She grabbed her shoes and slipped them on, then found Connor sitting on the couch. He still looked horribly depressed, but now he had his shoes on. "Good. Let's go." Mia grabbed Connor by the hand, then dragged him out the door.

— —

They made it to the Quiver without incident— although a few people did give them odd looks— and let themselves in. As soon as they were downstairs, Mia looked around, then at Connor. "Ok, what do you want to do first?" she asked.

"…Nothing…" Connor muttered, looking at the ground.

"Come on, Connor. I know you're sad, but it'll feel better to get your mind off it. I promise."

"…Fine." Connor glanced around, then sighed. "Let's just shoot."

"Shooting. Cool." Mia led him over to the arsenal and grabbed the bow she'd been shooting with a few days prior. She eyed the quivers on their pegs before selecting one and slipping it over her body. It sagged from being too big, so she tried to fix the strap.

Connor saw her struggling while in the middle of putting on his own quiver, so he finished quickly and walked over to her. "You do it like this…" He moved her hands away, then fixed the strap.

"Thanks." Mia stayed still until he was done, then look closely at the strap to see how it was supposed to fit. "Ok, let's do this." She walked up to one of the targets and awkwardly pulled an arrow from her quiver. Tongue on the edge of her teeth, she knocked the arrow to her bow, then aimed at the target and pulled back the bowstring. Her hand and arm shook from the strain, but she powered through and fired. The arrow missed the target by a few inches. "Damn it!" She looked over at Connor, who was driving bullseye after bullseye into the target. 'Of course.'

"…It takes practice…"

"Huh?"

Connor lowered his bow and scuffed his toe on the ground. "Shooting. It takes practice to get good. It's only your second time so, you know, patience."

"I'm sure you weren't this bad."

"I was. Even when I first met Roy, I could only hit the middle once in a while. He made me practice a lot to get consistent."

"At least he trained you."

Connor didn't say anything as he shot another arrow. "You could try talking to him…"

"Roy?" Mia snorted and she shot another arrow. This one was closer to the target. "Yeah right."

"He's reasonable."

"With you. And for course he is. You're a patient monk and I'm literally a gremlin of the streets."

Now it was Connor's turn to snort. "Really? You think he'll be more reasonable with the son of the man who traumatized him than the innocent victim he bonded with over that trauma?"

"I'm not a victim." Mia's arrow hit the farthest ring of the target.

"Why?"

"Because…I chose to become a prostitute."

Connor frowned as he lined up another bullseye. "So it was your idea?"

"Well…no, it was Richard's. But I agreed. I could've said no."

"What would've happened if you had? Would he still have let you live with him? Fed you and took care of you?"

"Probably…"

"Is that why he hit you?"

"We're off-topic." Mia's eyes narrowed as her arrow missed again. "Roy still won't let me become a vigilante. I'm just not good enough for him."

Connor sighed as he shot another arrow. "It's not that."

"Then what is it?"

Connor heisted, then lowered his ow as he talked. "…Roy had a friend— more like a brother, who was a vigilante and he died." His words also caused Mia to stop her shooting. "That's why Roy didn't want me to be a vigilante and why he doesn't want you to become one either. It's dangerous and he's responsible for our safety."

"Do you think it's worth the risk?" Mia aimed another arrow at the target.

"I do. It's crazy dangerous, but there's nothing like it in the world. You'll never find a better hobby."

"Must be nice." Mia fired another arrow, which also hit the target. "I've never had anything worthwhile like that in my life."

Connor's hand loosened a bit and he moved his bow down. 'Ugh…man. Why do I feel like I have to help her?' It was definitely something a hero would do. He sighed again, then walked over to Mia. "You're too tense."

"What?"

"Your stance is too tense and you grip the arrow too hard. It's making your shooting difficult. Loosen your back and hand a bit."

"…You're helping me?"

"Yup."

"Why?"

"…I honestly don't know. But even if you can't convince Roy, I'll teach you to shoot."

Mia was quiet as she tried to loosen her muscles and keep her aim on the target at the same time. "Do you really think I can convince him?"

"I do."

— —

Connor kept helping Mia shoot for several hours and didn't even notice the time slipping by. Eventually, though, his stomach audibly growled and his cheeks heated.

"Hungry?" Mia smirked.

"A little…"

"Stay here. I bet Roy has food somewhere in his office."

A small smile appeared on Connor's face as he watched her go. As soon as he realized it was there though, he replaced it with a frown. "Why am I smiling? It's a sad day. Mom is gone and the only person I have for company is Mia." Who wasn't completely uninteresting. She had a lot of tenacity. It made Connor feel bad to be so adamantly against her living with him and Roy. 'She's a nice person…but I don't want to be replaced.'

"Jackpot!" Mia yelled as she came back down the stairs. "Found a container of pasta in a mini-fridge. No forks though, so we'll have to use our hands."

Connor shrugged as he sat on the ground next to her, the pasta container balanced on their knees. He picked a cold piece of pasta from the container and popped it into his mouth. "Weird texture…"

"I've lived off cup of noodles for two weeks." Mia took two pieces of pasta and ate them. "This isn't so bad."

"Why?"

"Where we were living had a microwave and I was honestly tired of fast food. Plus clients really prefer us to look a certain way."

"Preferred."

"Huh?"

Connor swallowed his bite. "Preferred. You- You said prefer— you know, present tense— and it should be in the past tense."

"…Right." Mia was quiet for a few minutes as she picked through the pasta. "Can I be honest with you, Connor?"

"Mhm."

"I don't always know if I want to leave the life behind me…exactly. Like, obviously I like living with Roy. It's nice having a normal person schedule instead of a nocturnal one. And not having to sleep with a bunch of gross men twice my age, obviously. I'm kind of enjoying this slightly more normal teen life. Not that my life has been normal from the beginning." She ate another cold piece of pasta. "But, Richard, being with him is the safest I've ever felt."

"What about Roy?"

"I don't know. He's too nice. It's just so…unnerving."

Connor pulled two more pieces of pasta from the container. "I don't know what to say."

"Thanks."

"But…you didn't know what to say earlier, so I'll give it my best shot." He quickly ate his pasta. "I know to you it seems like everything was ok, but from the outside— you know objectively— it wasn't ok. You were in danger, which is why Roy wanted to help you. Even if you don't fully trust Roy, he's doing everything he can to help you."

"…Well, you're not horrible. Maybe I'll feel better once I start therapy next week."

"I think that's what therapy is for."

"Hmm."

Connor looked at the floor as he ate another few pieces of pasta. "How badly do you want to be a vigilante?"

"Why?"

"…Truthfully? Because I kind of don't want you to, but if it's important to you, then I'll help you."

"Why don't you want me to become a vigilante?"

"Roy already connects to you more than he does me. If you become a vigilante then he might decide he doesn't want me anymore. And I don't want to leave. I can't go back to my old foster home so I don't have anywhere else to go."

"He won't kick you out. Roy doesn't seem like that kind of person."

"My father traumatized him when he was young. Why would he keep me?"

Mia gave him a look. "You're a weird kid."

"You didn't answer my question."

"…I really want to do this. I have to do this."

Connor sighed and pushed the container toward Mia so she could take the last piece. "Come on," he said. "I'll teach you how to fight."

"Why?"

"Because when you convince Roy to let you become a vigilante, it'll help if you can tell him you already know some basics."

Mia nodded as she ate the last piece of pasta, then set the container aside. "Let's do it then. And I promise, if he lets me become a vigilante, I won't let him get rid of you."

"Thanks. Come on, we can start with punches and blocks."

"I can already throw a pretty good right hook."

Connor smirked a little. "I'll keep that in mind."

— —

By the time Roy made his way down the stairs, Connor had taught Mia how to both throw and block a solid punch. The two teens were taking turns blocking and punching when their guardians found them.

"Having fun?" Roy asked.

"Oh yeah, I'm about to knock out Connor's teeth," Mia replied.

"I wouldn't say that," Connor almost laughed as he blocked her punch. "But she is surprisingly strong."

"Well, let's keep all our teeth in our mouths please."

"How did the school thing go?" Mia asked. She flinched a little as she blocked Connor's punch, he was a lot stronger than her but stood her ground.

"It went great actually. You'll have to take a couple of summer classes, and a couple of online classes, but they put together a plan so you can start 8th grade in the fall."

"That's…great. Thanks."

"No problem. Let's go home, it's almost dinnertime."

Connor gave Mia a nod in Roy's direction, then slipped past Roy and up the stairs.

Mia hesitated for a moment, then clear her throat. "Hey, Roy…" she said.

"Yeah?"

"I want to be a vigilante."

Roy tried not to sigh. "Mia-"

"Don't, Mia, me. I know you want to protect me, but I've been homeless at the age of 12. Trust me, I'll be fine."

"You could be killed-"

"I could also be killed just walking down the street tomorrow! The world is like that sometimes." Mia crossed her arms. "I've never done anything for myself. When I hit that target for the first time, I've never had pride like that. I have to do this. No one's ever allowed me to do something like this before. I want to do more; be more. And it's not like my life is perfectly safe as it is. I literally have HIV. I want to do this. Please, Roy?"

'Damn, why is this kid so sincere?' Roy wondered as he rubbed the back of his neck. 'I really, really don't want to put another teenager in danger…but it means this much to her, then how can I say no? What if being a vigilante can help her? I know she's been struggling, even if she's still too closed off to talk about it.' Which, unfortunately, he could completely understand. "I'll tell you the same thing I told Connor. If you do this, you have to do exactly what I tell you. You have to go to school and get good grades. You can also stop at any time. You don't have to be a vigilante to live here."

"But I can be a vigilante?"

"…Yes, you can. I'll start training you next week."

"Yes! Thank you, Roy!" Mia smiled broadly and practically bounce don her heels. "I'm going to be the most badass vigilante you've ever seen."

Roy smiled wryly. "I'm sure. Come on, let's go catch up with Connor so we can have dinner."

"Ok." Mia started walking toward the stairs, then stopped and looked back at Roy. "And I want a cape."

"No capes. We're archers, we don't have capes."

"We can, just use your imagination."

"Let's just go have dinner."

"This isn't over."

'I'm sure,' Roy thought as he followed Mia up the stairs. 'Oh boy… Two proteges. I don't know what I'm getting myself into. Hopefully, nothing too overwhelming because I'm not sure I'm qualified to do this.'

— —

That night, Mia looked through a pamphlet Roy had given her about her new school before bedtime. She glanced up as Connor finished his bedtime meditation and stood. She glanced back down at the pamphlet.

"Thanks…" Connor said quietly as he laid down in the bottom bunk.

"Thanks?" Mia frowned, lowering her pamphlet again.

"For today. It…really helped to get my mind off things. I appreciate it."

"Oh. Well, you're welcome. We are…roommates, soon to be teammates. Gotta have each others' backs. Right?"

"…Right. Roomie."

Mia snorted and went back to her pamphlet. "Good. Roomie."


	16. Wilderness Survival Training

A/N: Sorry, I forgot to update on Wednesday. Things have been really busy lately. Enjoy the new chapter and leave a review to let me know what you think!

Roy stood with his arms crossed, watching Connor and Mia shoot. Connor was working on speed, shooting as many arrows as he could in two minutes; while Mia was working on improving her aim. The smile on Roy's face quivered a little as he eyed the sheet Mia had safety-pinned around her neck. To 'prove archers could wear capes'. It was kind of endearing; even if he was hoping she'd eventually give up. (Although knowing Mia, that wouldn't happen.) He checked his timer and stopped it. "Ok, Connor, time's up," he said. "How'd you do?"

Connor frowned as he quickly counted the arrows. "16," he answered, a hint of disappointment in his voice.

"That's really good."

"It's 8 arrows a minute."

"That's still fast, Connor."

"It's not nearly as fast as you."

"Well, I've got a few more years of experience than you."

"How fast can you shoot?" Mia asked, pausing in her own shooting.

"…36 arrows a minute."

"36?! That's like…one every two seconds! There's no way!"

"Wanna bet?" Roy smiled playfully as he picked up his bow and gestured for Connor to step back from the target. The teen complied and Roy stepped up. He took a deep breath and shook his arms out. He could see Mia on his other side from the corner of his eye. "Connor, time me."

Connor grabbed the stopwatch and nodded. "Got it," he said. "Ready…go!"

As usual, Roy didn't think, he moved. He let his fingers jump from the arrow to his bowstring, barely even aware of the fletchings as they grazed his fingertips. The only sound was the snap of his bowstring as he fired arrow after arrow into the center of the target. A calmness settled n his stomach as nothing seemed to exist except him and the arrows. It was where he felt most comfortable, despite everything in his past (or maybe because of it in some way), with his bow in his hand and a target in front of him. He was so in the zone that he had to grope at his empty quiver for a few seconds before he realized there were no more arrows left. So, he let his hand fall and lowered his bow. No one spoke or moved for several seconds until Connor clicked the stopwatch.

"One minute…" he said quietly.

Roy nodded, then turned to the two teens. He blinked and stepped back at the astonished looks they were giving him. "So-"

"Holy shit…" Mia whispered. "That was the craziest thing I've ever seen! You're amazing!" she looked at Connor, who only nodded agreement. "You must be like…the best archer in the world!"

"I wouldn't say I'm the best in the world-"

"Well, who would be better? Name one person who could outshoot you."

'Ollie…' Roy thought automatically. 'I might be good, but Ollie will always be better.' Except Oliver wasn't around anymore. He was locked away in the Green Lantern prison on another planet. And he was never coming back. "Let's just get back to work. Connor, I'll help you with your form so you can shoot faster and Mia you still need another 10 bullseyes before dinner."

"What happens if I don't make it?" Mia asked as she wandered back to her own target. "No dinner-"

"No!" Roy's stomach curled and his chest tightened. "No, definitely not!"

"Sorry, sorry. It was just a joke, Roy."

"Well, …let's not joke about that."

"Sorry." Mia turned away to focus on her shooting. 'Jeez, I didn't think he'd react like that.'

Roy took a deep breath and turned to Connor. "Ok, so the key to shooting fast is all in the fingers. You have to grab the arrows on the very edge of the nocking point. It also helps if you're comfortable enough to nock the arrows without looking directly at them." For a while, he helped Connor with his form, then set him back to shooting in two-minute intervals. Then he moved on to helping Mia, doing his best to fix her stance and arm movements without actually touching her. By the time he looked at the time again, he decided to call it. "Ok, guys, let's go home."

"11 bullseyes," Mia bragged as she retrieved her arrows. "11."

"13 arrows a minute," Connor added. "At this rate, I'll catch up to Roy in…10 years?"

"If you're lucky."

They laughed and Roy couldn't help but smile. It was nice to see them getting along so well. "I think you guys earned a break from training this weekend," he said as he put his bow and quiver away.

"I can't take a break! I've only been working on this for a week!"

"And you've been making great progress in that week. You can't rush your training, Mia. You'll get there eventually, I promise. Besides, it's summer. You guys are 14, you should be enjoying yourselves too."

"Yeah, summer school. Real fun." Mia rolled her eyes as she put her bow and quiver away.

"I'm sure you guys are doing more than just summer school and training. Connor?"

"I'm doing the summer reading program at the library," Connor said as he put his bow and quiver away. "I also volunteer there, putting books away."

"He's a real party animal," Mia remarked.

"Be nice," Roy told her as he corralled them up the stairs.

"What did you do during the summer when you were our age?"

"…Well, when I was your age I was severely traumatized and recovering from abuse. Before that, I was being abused. And before that…I would spend my whole summers outside. Shooting, hiking, camping."

"Didn't you live in the desert?" Connor asked.

"I did."

"You were in the middle of the desert and you were outside all the time?" Mia asked. "Gross."

"I loved being outside. Still do."

"Why?"

"It's fun. Fresh air, exercise. Nothing better."

"Sounds boring to me."

"That's because you've never- Wait, you guys have never been camping, have you?"

"Nope."

"Connor?"

"No," Connor said.

"That decides it then. It's a holiday weekend because of the 4th, we're going camping!"

"Why?" Mia asked.

"Because camping is fun. We can hike, swim, shoot. We can even make it educational and double as wilderness survival training."

"Why do we need-"

"Because I said so, Mia." Roy looked at Connor. "What'd you think, Con?"

"…I've always wanted to go camping."

"Great!" Roy put an arm around each of the teens, but Mia shoved the arm off. "It's going to be great. You'll see."

— —

A few days later, Roy couldn't stop smiling. He had a hiking bag on his bike, with his bow in one hand and a waist quiver strapped to his body. It wasn't the desert, but it was hot and muggy. And the forest scenery of the mountains was a nice break from the city. Plus, he had his two kiddos with him, even if one of them was having a harder time getting in the spirit.

"No one ever said anything about hiking with a 100lb backpack on," Mia muttered as she tried to scramble up a rock face.

"I think it's fun," Connor said as he turned around to help her, trying not to lean too far forward.

"You also thinking sitting in one spot for two hours is also fu-" Mia's foot slipped and she stumbled back, pulling Connor down with her.

Luckily, Roy heard her shout and spun around in time to snag the back of Connor's backpack and pulled him. He grunted as he pulled the two teens onto the boulder. "You guys ok?"

"Mhm," Connor nodded.

"Mia?"

"Are we almost there?" Mia asked.

"We are." Roy pointed to a break in the trees. "Through there and down the path for about half a mile. There should be a clearing where we can set up camp."

"Connor, go first."

"Why?"

"I want a meat shield between me and the mountain lions."

Connor frowned. "…Fine, but you're walking in front on the way out." He got a shrug from Mia, then walked between the break in the trees Roy had pointed out. It was slightly cooler here, with the trees so close together they formed a canopy of shade over the small pathway. It was filled with rocks and tree roots, so he had to go carefully, but compared to the hike up the mountain it was a breeze. Connor took a deep breath of fresh, mountain air and smiled a little. They were so far from the road that they couldn't hear anything besides nature. 'Reminds me of the monastery,' he thought. 'Star is so loud all the time. Cars, people, sirens. It's nice to be somewhere slower and quieter. Where everything is so much calmer.' It was honestly very refreshing. They emerged in a small clearing and Connor stopped.

"This is it!" Roy told them happily. He slung his bag off his back and set it down.

"Finally!" Mia sighed as she undid the straps on her bag and let it fall to the ground.

"First, we're setting up camp."

"We didn't bring any tents."

"Don't need them. It's July and the weather forecast is clear as it can be all weekend. Just roll out your sleeping bags, then we can set up a fire pit."

Connor shrugged as he knelt beside his bag and fished out his sleeping bag. He undid the elastics keeping it rolled tight, then unrolled it. As he smoothed it out, he saw Mia kneeling beside him from the corner of his eye. When he looked he found she was setting up her sleeping bag next to his. He stared at her for a few seconds and she stopped when she noticed it.

"What?" Mia asked. "I'm not sleeping alone when we're in the middle of nowhere like this." And she'd found that lately, she slept better with the gentle sounds of Connor nearby.

"You guys ready?" Roy asked as he stood.

"We are," Connor replied as he and Mia stood.

"Ok. You two gather some stones we can line the fire put with. We want them to be at least three inches across. Got it?"

"Got it," the two teens said in unison.

Connor fully expected Mia to go off on her own, but she stuck close to him as they walked into the woods. It didn't take long to start finding rocks. Soon Connor was holding them as Mia piled them into his arms. "Hey, Mia," he said.

"Yeah?" she replied.

"Are you…scared?"

"Of course not." She picked up another rock and put it in Connor's arms. "I've lived on the streets, Connor, do you really think the stupid wilderness would scare me?"

"Sorry. Just asking." He looked down at the pile of rocks in his arms, then back at her. "Why do I have to carry them?"

"Because you're stronger."

"But you're working on strength training, so shouldn't you be the one carrying them?"

Mia made a face. "Then I just don't want to."

"…Fine, but you're carrying the next heavy thing we have to find."

"Deal."

'Hope it's a huge log,' Connor thought as Mia continued to pile rocks in his arms. 'But this is a good strength training exercise. Is that why Roy's having us do it?' At least this weekend wouldn't be wasted, as long as he focused on picking up as many skills as he could that would make him a better hero. And getting physically stronger was part of that. Thankfully, they returned to the campsite not long after that. Connor carefully dropped the rocks onto the ground, trying to avoid dropping them on his toes.

"Great job," Roy said. "Now arrange the rocks in a circle." While Connor and Mia did that, he dug through his bag and produce two trowels, which were normally used for gardening. He turned back and couldn't help but smile. Connor kept rearranging a few stones, only for Mia to move two more on the other side of the circle. 'Hopefully, I can get them to work together this weekend,' Roy thought as he watched them both trying to make the circle perfect, but working against each other the whole time. 'They'll need to be a strong team for my new strategies to work.' Eventually, he had to stop them. "Ok, good enough. Now you need to dig a hole inside the circle, at least a foot down." He held out the trowels and the two teens took them so they could start digging.

"When does the fun start?" Mia asked as she piled her dirt next to the rock circle.

"You saying this isn't fun?"

"Not in the slightest."

Roy laughed. "We'll do some more fun stuff tomorrow, but for now we need fire, drinking water, and food or we'll be in trouble."

Connor stopped momentarily in his digging to give Roy a confused look. "But we didn't bring any water or food with us," he said.

"Astute observation. Now keep digging or we won't be able to cook anything for dinner."

Connor caught Mia's eye as he went back to his digging. 'He's being usually cryptic. Maybe he expects us to figure it out on our own?' Roy was always looking for ways to improve their detective skills. Occasionally, Connor's trowel hits his Mia's as they dig, so he just keeps trying to dig around her.

When Roy thought the fire pit was deep enough, he nodded to himself. "Ok, that's good," he said. "Now you guys need to gather twigs, sticks, and kindling."

"Kindling?" Mia asked.

"Anything small and dry, Like tree bark and leaves."

"Why do we have to do all the work?"

"Because I'm not the one with no survival skills."

"I have city survival skills."

"But you might not always be in the city. Being a hero can take you to many different places. It's important to be prepared."

"…Fine." He had an excellent point, but she didn't want to admit it. So, Mia followed Conor into the trees so they could find the stuff they needed for the fire.

While they were gone, Roy retrieved the flint rocks from his own pack. 'It's good to be outside and in the fresh air,' he thought. 'They need it to. Some laid back training that's also fun will be good for them.' He paced a little until the teens returned. "Ok. I'm going to show you guys how to start a fire."

"Can't we just use a lighter and some gasoline?"

"Nope." Roy knelt down beside him and gesture for Connor and Mia to join him. "Ok, first you have to put the kindling in the pit. The drier the better. Then hold the flint like this." He showed them how he was holding the rocks, then started string. "Just add a little air…" Roy blew on the sparks gently coaxing them into a flame. "And slowly add more kindling and twigs, then small sticks." He nodded as Connor and Mia followed his instructions. "Not too much at once. You have to feed the fire gently." A smile played on his lips as those exact words echoed in his head; from when Brave Bow had taught him to start a fire at the age of 7. When they got the fire small but burning, Roy stood; not even bothering to burst off his knees. "Ok, now we're going to get dinner ready."

"What're we having?" Connor asked.

"Mia and I will have whatever we can shoot. I'll show you plants that are safe to eat."

"Wait," Mia said, holding up her hands. "We have to hunt our own food?"

"Yes. Or…gather our own food in Connor's case."

Mia snorted and Connor gave her a confused look. "Hunter, gatherer." He just kept staring. "I'm learning world history at summer school. Don't judge me."

Roy rolled his eyes. "We'll take turns to we don't leave the fire unattended." He grabbed his bow from where it was editing against his back and double-checked his waist quiver. "I'll take Mia hunting first, then get her set up and cook, then I'll take Connor…gathering. Understand?" There was collective nodding in response. "Ok. Let's go."

Connor watched Roy and Mia leave the clearing, then sat on the ground beside the fire pit. He gazed into the fire, watching the flames eating away at the wood of the sticks. After a few minutes, he moved his legs so he was sitting cross-legged and settled his hands on his knees. 'I can at least mediated for a little while until they come back.'

— —

Meanwhile, Roy was showing Mia different animal tracks and how to search for rabbits. "They're fast, so you have to really sneak up on them," Roy whispered as he crept through the undergrowth. "It's a good chance to work on your stealth."

"Ok," Mia whispered back. She kept the tip of her tongue between her front teeth as she followed Roy, only stepping where he stepped to avoid snapping twigs or tripping on a root. It took a lot of effort on her part to move her feet like Roy had taught her (stepping down with her toes first, then rolling her foot down to her heel), but she was able to follow without making any noise. Something moved in a nearby bush and Roy held up his hand. The two archers waited for a few seconds a small, brown rabbit hopped past them. Roy glanced back at Mia, whose hand moved to her quiver, but he shook his head. She frowned at him as the rabbit continued on past, then they resumed their walking. "Why didn't we shoot it?"

"Because it's too small," Roy answered. "It's probably young and it wouldn't have had enough meat to feed both of us."

"Oh…" Mia wanted to curse. 'Of course, it was too small. Think, Mia. Think. You won't get to be as good as Connor and Roy if you don't use your head.' Between walking stealthily and looking for potential food, Mia's laser focus was incredibly preoccupied and she didn't really have time to appreciate the wilderness around her. When they finally stopped again, she let her hand fall down to her quiver. The waist quiver was awkward, especially when all she'd practiced with so far was a normal quiver on her back, but she grit her teeth; determined to improve herself. As soon as her fingers touched the fletchings of an arrow, a large rabbit hopped out from behind a tree. 'Got him,' she thought with a smile. A glance at Roy gave her the go-ahead, so she carefully pulled an arrow from the quiver and nocked it to her bow. She took aim and fired after only a second. The arrow hit the ground next to the rabbit, which took off running. "Damn it!"

"It's ok. We can find another one and try again."

And they did. Five more times. After the sixth rabbit evaded her arrow, Mia growled and wanted to throw her bow down in frustration. "I don't see why I have to shoot the bunnies!" she snapped at Roy. "You're such a good archer, why don't you do it so we can eat sometime today?"

"Because it's good for you to practice. You have to take shots that are just as hard on the streets. And if somehow…you get stranded or lost…it makes me feel better to know that you'll be able to survive on your own." Roy put a hand his hand on her shoulder, then quickly pulled it off when Mia glared at him. "Sorry. Connor likes it when I do that. Look, you'll get it. I have faith in you."

'Damn, is this what it's like when people believe in you?' Mia wondered. She took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. "Ok. Let's keep going."

"Try keeping an arrow nocked to your bow so when we find another arrow you can shoot it faster."

"Right." Mia nocked an arrow to her bowstring, then followed Roy. She tried to keep a hold on her frustration because she wanted more than anything to impress Roy and shoot a rabbit. It even prompted her to start looking for a rabbit herself. A few minutes later she spotted something moving in a bush. Her breath caught in her throat from anticipation and she looked at Roy, but he was still walking and at least 15 feet in front of her. 'If I tell Roy I might scare it off,' she thought. 'I'll just have to go after it myself.' Mia nodded to herself, then stepped off the path. It was slower going because she didn't have Roy forging a silent path ahead of her, so she had to step slowly and cautiously, using her toes to find a safe place to step. She got within five feet of the bush, but there was no sign of a rabbit. "Hmm…" Mia slowly knelt to grab a rock, then tossed it gently into the bush. She jerked up as a rabbit hopped out of the bush. It didn't see her though, so Mia lined up her shot, then let go of the arrow.

It killed the rabbit instantly and she gave herself a small smile. "I did it…" That pride from when she'd hit the target for the first time blossomed in her chest. "Sorry, Bugs," she said as she took a piece of kitchen twine from her pocket to tie the animal's legs together. "But I have to eat and impress my new mentor. He only agreed to train me by the skin of my teeth and it's the first worthwhile thing I've done in my life. You understand, right?"

"Mia?!"

"Over here!" Mia stood as she grabbed the other end of the twine.

Roy ran over to her, stopping when he saw the dead animal hanging from her hand. "You got it?"

"I did."

"Greta job, but I would appreciate you not wandering off like that. You don't know the area and-"

"Uh-huh. I'll stick close."

"Good."

Mia smiled as she followed Roy back to camp, eager to show Connor that she'd shot the rabbit herself. When they got to the campsite though, it seemed the first thing Connor noticed was the rabbit. "Don't give me that look," Mia said at the way he frowned and his green eyes seemed to widen a bit in sympathy. "I shot this all by myself and I'm very pound of it."

"…But…did it have to be a bunny?" Connor asked. "I mean, even a squirrel would be better."

"We're not eating squirrels," Roy said. He grabbed several small knives from his bag and gestured for Mia to follow him to the far side of camp. "Ok, I'll skin it for you and then show you how to cook it while I take Connor hiking for his dinner. Watch carefully because you have to do it by yourself tomorrow."

Mia's eyes followed Roy's every move as he skinned the rabbit and used water from his canteen to clean it. After cleaning his hands with hand sanitizer, Roy stuck the pieces of meat on sticks and stuck them in the sides of the fire pit so the strips of meat were over the fire. "How long will it take to cook?"

"A few hours. Just be patient. Stay here and keep an eye on dinner." Roy looked down at his pother protege. "Ready?" Connor simply nodded in response and stood. "Let's go."

"Watch out for bears!"

"There are no bears, right?" Connor asked Roy.

"Uh…probably not. Just stay close."

"Ok." The hike was quiet for a few minutes as Connor took in the nature around him. "I like this. It's nice to be away from the city for a little bit."

"It is," Roy agreed. "The town where I grew up on the reservation was small, especially compared to Star. Traffic wasn't a thing, it wasn't loud, or crowded."

"Reminds me of the monastery."

Roy smiled a little. "Ok, play close attention, because if you grab the wrong plant on accident the best-case scenario is you'll just be really sick."

"Got it."

— —

Mia was absolutely not scared of being alone in the woods. Even if the woods were full of bears and mountain lions. She'd lived on the streets by herself when most girls were listing to boy bands. She wasn't scared. But she was happier when Roy and Connor returned to the campsite. "Get your grass?" she asked as Connor sat by the fire.

"Mostly berries and a few nuts," Connor conceded. He showed Mia the food he'd gathered in his small container. "But none of it's poisonous."

"…Well, that's something then." Mia's stomach growled. "Ugh! Roy, when will our dinner be done?"

"Hm…" Roy studied the rabbit and poke did a little with his finger. He tore off a piece, examined it, then ate it. "It's done." He pulled out the two sticks, then handed one to Mia. "Meat on a stick."

"Honestly I'd eat Connor I'm so hungry." She almost smirked at how Connor gave her a concerned look and moved away form her. Mia took a bite, then made a face. "…What an interesting taste."

"It's not so bad when you get used to it."

"God, I hope that never happens." But it was this or try to steal some of Connor's fruits and nuts, so she kept eating her rabbit. "If I ever get stranded in the wilderness I might have to eat my own limbs to survive." Again, Connor gave her a concerned look, but there was a hint of amusement this time.

"I bet vegetarianism doesn't look so bad right now, does it?" he asked quietly.

"You be quiet."

Roy smiled as he ate his own dinner. 'I'm glad it seems like the distance between them is finally closing,' he thought. 'That's exactly what I was hoping would happen on this trip.'

"How do you know all this stuff?" Mia took another bite. "Did your adoptive dad have you hunting rabbits on the reservation when you guys went camping?"

"No. Not long after I left Gotham, I started taking camping trips by myself and I taught myself all this."

"Of course you did…"

Connor ate a few berries, then looked at Roy. "So…once Mia is trained, do we get to join your sidekick team?" he asked.

"A sidekick team?" Mia asked with a frown.

Roy swallowed. "Uh…I don't know," he replied evasively. "I want you guys to have experience before I throw you onto the Team."

"What team?"

"….There's a superhero team made up of the proteges of the Justice League." Roy looked down for a moment to eat some rabbit, then looked up to see Mia in shock. "What?"

"You mean you we could be real superheroes?!"

"What do you mean- Vigilantes are real superheroes."

"But like…with people who have superpowers!" She looked at Connor. "And you knew about this?"

"Mhm…" Connor nodded. "I want to be on the Team really bad."

"Me too!"

Roy sighed. "Not yet. Mia just started her training and Connor still isn't ready." And the hero community wasn't ready to be introduced to the son of Oliver Queen quite yet.

"But, soon?" Connor asked.

"I'll let you know."

Mia stole a berry out of Connor's container and popped it into her mouth. "Were you on this Team?"

"I helped found it."

"Really? How?"

Roy looked up again and found the teens were staring at him. He smiled and waited until he had swallowed his bite of rabbit. "Ok. It started on the 4th if July…three years ago-" Connor and Mia listened with rapt attention as they listened to his story. The eager smile that made it's way across Mia's face when he talked about breaking into Cadmus, and then fighting their way out later, unnerved him a little. He could practically see the thought bubble over her head and it concerned him. There was a similar look to Connor, though he wasn't as obvious about it, his body leaned more toward Roy when the story got more exciting. When Roy finished, the sun had gone down and the fire provided them with light in the settling twilight.

"Wow…" Connor whispered.

"That's so cool," Mia echoed. "And we really can't join right now?"

"Definitely not," Roy confirmed.

"…But you'll let us know as soon as we can?"

"Yes. I will."

"Isn't Kaldur the leader?" Connor asked.

"Who's Kaldur?" Mia asked.

"His boyfriend."

Mia gave Roy a smirk. "Nice."

Roy simply sighed and threw his stick into the fire. He laid himself down onto the grass and put his hands behind his head. "Time for your next lesson. Lay down," he said. "I'm going to teach you guys the constellations."

"Why do we need to know the constellations?" Mia asked as she and Connor laid down on the grass.

"Because I said so. And…my adoptive Dad taught me. A- A long time ago." Roy took a deep breath, then lifted his arm to point at the sky. "Ok, so, see that really bright one slightly to your guys left? Start there-"


	17. Birthday Surprises

A/N: It's technically Thursday, but I didn't remember I had to update until late and I didn't want to wait until Sunday because...well, you'll see ;) Leave a review and let me know what you think!

A few weeks after the camping trip, Connor opened his eyes, then jumped and scrambled against the wall when he saw Mia's head hanging down from the top bunk. She stared at him with a wide smile. "Jeez, Mia," he said. "Don't do that." A glance at the window told him it was dawn; the time he normally woke up for his morning meditation. "What're you doing up? You're never up this early."

"Happy Birthday!" Mia's left hand moved and she threw a handful of confetti at his face.

Connor blinked and brushed it off his eyes. "Thanks…"

"Hey, I made that myself at summer school."

"Aren't you supposed to be learning math at summer school?"

"I'd like to see you pay attention to prime numbers while it's the middle of July. At least the classrooms have air conditioning." There was a quiet knock on the door and Mia lifted herself up to look at it. "Come in!"

The door opened and Roy walked in. "Hey Connor- and Mia," he said. "What're you doing up?"

"I wanted to be the first to congratulate Connor on making it another year."

Roy chuckled as he ruffled Connor's hair. "Happy Birthday, Connor."

"Thanks, Roy," Connor replied quietly.

"I was thinking we could go out today, just you and me."

"What about me?!" Mia objected, swinging her upper body down again.

"You have summer school and two online classes to finish before school starts in exactly one month. You have your hands full."

"What're we going to do?" Connor asked.

"I was thinking we could go to bookstore and you could pick out some books. And we could get you a cushion to meditate on so you don't have to sit on the floor."

"I don't mind the floor…but a cushion would be nice."

"Sounds like a plan then. I'll have breakfast ready for you when your morning meditation is done."

"Thanks."

"Roy, watch this!" Mia said. She rolled forward, letting go of the top bunk as she landed don her feet. "Ta-da!"

"I see your acrobatics training is paying off," Roy smiled. "Let Connor mediate in peace."

"I will." Mia waited until Roy left before going over to her dresser and grabbed her school uniform; khaki pants and a red polo shirt with the school emblem on it. "I'll get out of your hair, Connor."

"You're not in my way," Connor said as he made his bed, then went over to the window.

"Mhm. Have fun." Mia slipped out of the room but detoured to the kitchen on her way to the bathroom. "Are you still taking Connor on patrol tonight?"

"Yes," Roy said. "Can I count on you to decorate his cake while we're gone?"

"Bake and decorate. I've got it all under control."

"Good. And you won't burn down our apartment?"

"Count on it."

"Thank you. Now go get dressed."

— —

By the time Mia had showered, gotten dressed, and put her hair up in a ponytail, Connor was done with his morning meditation and dressed. He sat at the kitchen table, reading.

"You're reading and Roy's taking you to get more books?" Mia asked as she sat down.

"I like reading," Connor said.

"Do you have any hobbies besides reading?"

"…I fight crime."

"That doesn't count."

"Says who?"

"Maybe you'll both pick up some new activities when school starts," Roy hinted as he served them veggie omelets. "Your new school has a lot of clubs you can participate in."

"I'm good," Connor replied quickly as he dug into his breakfast.

"I'll probably have enough going on with training and staying caught up in school," Mia said. "Did you know if my grades drop below a C average, I have to go to mandatory tutoring?"

"Mhm," Roy nodded as he joined them at the table. "That's one of the reasons I picked that school. I know vigilante activities won't interfere with your grades."

"Sneaky."

"And don't disregard the extra-curricular just yet. My younger brother was on the math team at Gotham Academy while he was Robin."

"Hard no to the math team. For both of us."

"Both?"

"I can't let Connor do something like that. He's already a huge nerd."

Connor tried not to smile as he ate his omelet. "Thanks…I think?" he told her.

"I think you guys should at least consider it," Roy said. "You should try to have normal lives. Make friends, go to dances, join a club or team…" Both Mia and Connor looked at Roy at the sightly wistful tone in his voice. "Anyways, you still have a month before you need to worry about that."

'I have more important things to worry about,' Connor thought as he focused on his breakfast. 'I wonder if Roy will let me practice in the Quiver today? I know he wants to take me out for fun stuff, but I could use the practice. I'm finally starting to get consistently faster. And I won't have to worry about trying to spend the whole day with him.' Not that Connor didn't appreciate his guardian's attempts to give him undivided attention, but he worried things would go back to how they were before Mia came into their lives. As much as he'd had his misgivings about her being there, Connor had to admit that having a third person made things a lot less awkward between him and Roy. Maybe because Roy connected to Mia based on their similar traumas, or maybe because it gave him something to focus on besides the blonde-haired, green-eyed reminder of his abuser lurking around his home; but whatever the case, it made Connor nervous about how things would be between them once they were alone.

The three finished their breakfasts in silence. When everyone was done, Roy started to collect their plates. "We're leaving in ten minutes," he said. He smiled a little as he watched Connor and Mia leave to brush their teeth. 'Looks like I'm finally hitting some kind of a routine,' he thought. 'I hope so. We need to establish some normalcy around here.'

— —

On their way to the bookstore, Roy dropped Mia off at summer school.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you guys?" she asked as she got out of the car.

"See you this afternoon, Mia," Roy told her.

"Uh-huh. I'll see you guys at home then."

"Hey, Roy," Connor said as they pulled away from the school.

"Yeah?"

"Do you think I can practice my archery this afternoon?"

"…If you want to, I guess. It's your birthday."

"Great!"

Roy tried not to wince at how Connor seemed more excited about the prospect of practicing his archery than the two of them spending quality time together. 'I thought he'd like some one-on-one time, since I usually have to split my attention between him, Mia, vigilante stuff, and my detective business.' Oh well. It was Connor's birthday and so far he hadn't shown any depression over his mom not being there, so Roy was willing to do whatever he had to do to keep it that way. Even if it might've been a sign that things weren't as good between them as he'd thought. Patrols were still the one place Roy didn't feel like he had to work so hard with Connor. 'As long as Connor's happy…I guess that's all that matters.'

It was silent all the way to the bookstore and reminded that way even when they were wandering among the shelves. Roy left Connor in the teen books and wandered around. As he passed into the nonfiction section, he eyed a shelf that contained parenting books. It'd occurred to him maybe he'd have better luck if he could get some expert help, but most of the books were geared toward parents with young children, even less had books on foster kids and none detailed how to deal with a teenager whose mere presence could trigger your PTSD, creating what felt like an impenetrable barrier between you and said, teen. 'I'm probably the only person with that problem,' Roy thought as he kept walking, looking for something he might like to add to his growing library at home. 'Which also doesn't feel right, because Dinah always insisted my problems weren't limited to me and other people had felt the way I felt before.' It made Roy wish he could tell Dinah about Connor.

'But I can't,' he reminded himself as he kept wandering. 'I trust Dinah, and I know she wouldn't judge Connor for his father was…but one person knowing heightens the chances of other people knowing. And Dinah is a member of the League. It's different than with Kal. He's on the Team. No one will think to ask him, so I wouldn't be asking him to lie.' Then again, who would think to ask if Roy had taken in Oliver Queen's son? 'I need to protect Connor and his identity has to remain a secret until I can be sure no one will hold Oliver against him.' As he walked, he lopped back to the teen section and found Connor was gone. "Connor?" he asked, trying to keep his heart from beating too fast. "Connor?" He passed several aisles, sticking his head down them to see if he could spot him. Finally, he found Connor in a completely different section. Roy breathed a small sigh of relief, even though he knew, logically, that Connor wouldn't have just wandered out of the bookstore. "Hey."

"Huh?" Connor looked up from the book he'd been skimming. "Oh, hey."

"Find anything good?" Roy quickly skimmed the titles nearby. "Crime books, really, kid?"

"What? I think they're interesting."

"Except you don't need to know every crime prevention theory out there. I think you've read everyone I have at home, isn't that enough?"

'If it was I wouldn't have spent my summer reading every book on crime-fighting and crime prevention I could find at the library,' Connor thought as he put the book away. He shrugged. "I just thought you'd want me to be knowledgeable on the subject."

"Connor-" Roy tried not to sigh. "I want you to have a life. A fun life where you have hobbies and interests. And don't say that it is your hobby, because you need more than that. You need normal hobbies, too. So…pick out some books about treasure hunting or something."

"…Fine." Connor walked back toward the teen books, very aware of Roy following him the whole time. 'I don't want normal hobbies,' he thought when he was looking for something to read. 'I want to be a great hero. I don't have time for non-vigilante hobbies. Why is Roy so insistent we be normal anyway? I've never been "normal" so that ship sailed long ago as it is.' Regardless, if he wanted to get to his afternoon of shooting, he knew he needed to pick out some books that Roy would approve of. So he grabbed some books on fictional crime-fighting, hoping it was a halfway point Roy could agree to.

Roy, of course, caught on to what Connor was doing right away, but just shrugged. "Anything else?"

"No. These are fine."

"Let's go then." It was silent from then, through checkout, and all the way to the next store where Roy bought Connor a cushion to meditate on. Here, Connor at least seemed more relaxed as he examined each cushion, feeling them with his hand to find the right one. Roy didn't rush him at all, letting him shop until he found the right one. It was a circle with green and white stripes, resembling the rings on a target.

"Is it ok if I get this one?" Connor asked cautiously, clearly concerned Roy wouldn't let him.

Roy physically bit the inside of his lip. He hated the color green; hated it so much that almost nothing in his apartment was green. Even books with green covers were delegated to the bottom-most shelf where they weren't easily noticed. But it was Connor's birthday. He sighed. "Yeah… That's fine."

"Thanks."

'Why does it have to be green?' Roy thought as he paid. 'Can't this kid like any other color? Even after learning about Oliver, he likes it! I don't understand!' It felt like another brick in the wall between them, but Roy was afraid that force Connor to hide or change his favorite color, something the teen used to express himself, would make him too controlling; so he stayed quiet. "How about lunch?" he asked eventually as they walked down the street and he checked his watch. "I think a new vegetarian restaurant opened a couple of blocks from here. We can drop these bags in the car first."

"…Sure. Sounds good." Connor stared at the ground as he walked. 'Lunch is good. I need some feel before I shoot this afternoon.' And he had noticed the restaurant on his walk to the library every day, it looked really good. "What are we doing for dinner?"

"Whatever you want. It's your birthday."

"…Eggplant parmesan?"

"If that's what you want to have, then well have it."

"Great. Thanks."

The two lapsed back into silence as they walked to the restaurant. It stayed silent even as they ordered and got their food. Finally, once they were settled in with their meals, Roy spoke again.

"Are you excited for school to start in the fall?" Roy asked as he picked some veggies out of his food. Just the ones he didn't like.

Connor shrugged. "I guess," he said. "This is…school number three in less than two years?"

Roy winced. "I'm sorry. I know this must be hard to keep changing schools like this. I just really want you and Mia together so you can look out for each other."

"It's fine. I don't really care about school anyways."

"You should-" The words barely escaped Roy's lips before Connor looked up from his food to give him a half-glare. The look elicited a small flinch from Roy, but the teen pressed on.

"I don't like school. School is dumb and pointless. Stop trying to make me like school, because it isn't going to work."

"Connor-"

"I'm not you, Roy! So stop acting like I am!" Connor sighed and closed his eyes for a moment trying to get a handle on his sudden anger. His hands balled into fists around his plastic fork and knife. 'Calm down… Clam down…' Unfortunately, sitting across from Roy wasn't helping. "I'm not hungry. We're only a few blocks from the- your office. I'm going to cool off for a while."

"O-Ok, be home by dinner…" Roy's voice died as Connor walked away. He watched the teen leave with a heavy heart. "Damn it!" Roy put his head in his hands. 'I- I don't get it. I'm just trying to do the right thing. I'm just trying to give them a good life. The life I never got to have.' How was that a bad thing? Why was it backfiring so spectacularly? The fact that it was still Connor's birthday made it so much worse. It only reminded Roy of what he'd feared from the very beginning. 'I really have no idea what I'm doing. I'm not capable of this.' He shook his head. 'Why is it that training Connor is so easy? How come I never have this problem as Red Arrow?' Whatever the reason, sitting in the restaurant feeling sorry for himself wasn't going to make it better. So he got to-go boxes for their food and left.

— —

The rest of the day was long. After leaving the restaurant, Roy bought the necessary ingredients for Connor's birthday dinner and the cake. He didn't hear from the teen all afternoon. The urge to go to the Arrow Cave and check on him was strong, but Roy resisted. Seeing Connor's green eyes tinted in anger, the way his face pinched in all the right places, it sent shivers down Roy's spine. Picked at the strings in his mind to play on his anxiety. Just thinking about it made him jittery. So Roy stayed away, feeling guilty that his anxiety was keeping him from seeking Connor out to help him.

'Maybe I'm in over my head,' Roy thought as he cooked dinner; glancing at the doorway every five seconds. 'I don't know how to take care of teenagers. I don't know how to do this while being…me.' The door opened and closed and his head whipped toward the doorway. "Connor?!"

"Sorry to disappoint," Mia said as she dropped her school bag. "Sorry, I'm late. That science test took me a lot longer than I thought it would. Aced it though!"

"Great work…" Roy glanced at the clock, then crossed his arms.

"Where's Connor?"

"The Cave."

"Why is he there?"

Roy thinned his lips, then shook his head. "Nothing. Its nothing." He sighed. "Listen, can you go to the Arrow Cave and bring Connor home for dinner?"

"Sure… Back in a flash." Mia left the apartment, mind reeling over this. 'Roy looks so tense. What happened between them today? I know Connor and Roy can have some issues, but it's Connor's birthday. Aren't good kids like Connor supposed to have nice birthdays?' Whatever the reason, she still wanted to make Connor a birthday cake that night while they patrolled, so she went straight to Roy's office. When she got to the Arrow Cave, Connor was practicing his shooting. She stood there watching him for a few minutes before clearing her throat. It only knocked Connor's aim off by half an inch. "Show off."

Connor sighed. "What'd you want, Mia?" he asked, voice strained.

"Geez, who kicked your dog?"

"Mia…"

"Connor…"

Connor dropped his bow arm and looked back as she approached him. "What do you want?"

"Roy wants you to come home, so we can have your birthday dinner like one big, happy, family-unit."

"I'm not hungry." Connor raised his bow again and knocked another arrow.

"Too bad." Mia stood between Connor's arrow and the target. "What the hell is wrong with you? Normally you're all…calm and nice, but right now you're so…angry, like-"

"Like who?" Connor lowered his bow. When she didn't say anything, he pressed her. "Go on, Mia. Finish the sentence."

Mia crossed her arms and met his glare with her own. "Like Oliver Queen." The flinch on Connor's face didn't faze her. "What happened?"

"Roy just doesn't get it! He tries, but he doesn't get me and I don't get him! He wants me to be happy having a normal life going to school and being a kid, but I can't! I want to be a vigilante and decorate my room with the color green, but he can't stand it! There's just this…distance between us. This…shadow on our lives that keeps us apart." Connor hung his head and ran his hands through his hair. "It's like we're on different pages, and the worst part is…he's all I have. Social Services won't let me go back to Arsham. My mom is dead, my father is…evil and deranged, imprisoned on another planet. All I have is this man who means well, but doesn't understand me and can barely stand to be around me sometimes."

"At least you have him. And I'm trying not to be hurt that I'm not important enough to make it onto your pity list of people in your life."

"Please-"

"Don't roll your eyes at me. I think this is the first time I've seen you roll your eyes; don't do it anymore. You and I might not be best friends, but we're roommates. Soon to be teammates. If someone tried to murder you, I'd totally kick their ass and save yours."

"…Thanks… I think?"

Mia smirked. "I think this is Roy's first time doing the…parent thing. And he's only 21. 21 and suddenly raising two teenagers while trying to keep a whole city safe as a vigilante. I think he's entitled to be a little bad at first."

"I guess…"

"Look, just come home and eat the weird…eggplant thing that Roy made."

"Eggplant parmesan is delicious."

"Then go on patrol and be his sidekick. At least try to have a good birthday. And give him some time. He has that whole good-guy-hero complex, so…I think he'll try to bridge the gap."

"Ok… Fine." Connor put his bow and quiver away, then followed Mia back up the stairs. 'I don't want to fight with Roy. He's nice and I know he wants to help me…but I'm not him. I don't need what he did. And he doesn't see that.' But Connor also didn't know how to make Roy understand. It was like he told Mia, they were on completely different pages; probably different books. 'Patrol will be better. It's so much easier with Roy when we're vigilantes.' When they got back to the apartment, dinner was ready and Roy was getting ready to serve it.

"Oh, hey… You guys are back," Roy said as the two teens walked into the kitchen.

"Yup," Mia replied as they sat at the table. "Let's eat this…weird eggplant thing."

"Vegetarian food isn't that bad."

"Says you."

Roy smiled a little, then looked at Conor who was focusing solely on his plate. "How was your afternoon?"

"Fine," Connor replied simply.

"Practicing your archery was good, then?"

"Yeah."

"That's…good." Roy let the conversation drop when Connor kept eating and didn't say anything else. Inadequacy and guilt twisted his gut, making him not hungry; but he was going to be patrolling that night, so he forced himself to eat. The silence weighed heavily on both Connor and Roy, while Mia tried to ignore it. When dinner finally ended, Connor went straight to the living room to wait until patrol. Roy sighed quietly to himself and gathered up the dishes.

"Can I still make Conor's birthday cake?" Mia asked as Roy did the dishes.

"Yes, we have all the ingredients and plenty of frosting and sprinkles to decorate it."

"Cool! It'll be ready for you guys when you get home from patrol!"

"Sounds good." For a moment, Roy briefly considered not taking Connor on patrol, but he knew if he did the teen would just hide in his room. Plus, Roy felt that he'd already made Connor's birthday hard enough and didn't want to disappoint him anymore. So, steeling himself and determined to make the most of the rest of Connor's day, Roy walked into the living room and cleared his throat. "Ready to head out?"

"Let's go," Connor said simply as he stood.

Roy let him lead the way to the Arrow Cave. Neither of them said a word on the walk to their headquarters, or while they were changing into their suits. It made Roy feel even more guilt as he double-checked his quiver, then reached for Connor's only to discover the teen had already checked it

"Are we leaving?" Green Arrow asked.

"…Yeah. Let's go, kid," Red Arrow replied. He strapped his quiver on, then he and Green Arrow headed for his bike.

— —

At first, the patrol was really quiet. They stopped a couple of vandals and escorted some teenagers home so they wouldn't cause trouble. Red Arrow looked around from their perch on top of a building. "Guess everyone's hiding tonight," he observed.

"Guess so…" Green Arrow replied, back mostly turned toward his mentor.

'I could at least use an arms deal or something to give us something to focus on besides each other.' Red Arrow considered moving to a different neighborhood, trying to think of a place that might have more activity, when he saw it. A shadow ran across the rooftops a few blocks away. Both archers stood up straight and watched the shadow move.

"Red…who's that?"

"I don't know…" Red Arrow watched as the shadow paused for a moment, then continued on. "Let's go find out. You go East, sneak up on their right side, I'll come up on the left."

"Got it." They split up and Red Arrow shot a grapple line down the street. Without losing momentum he dropped on the line and zipped down on his bow. He zip linked down the block, using the line to jump up to the next rooftop and kept running. "GA, where are you?"

"East Main," Green Arrow answered. "Boy…the shadow is fast!"

"Have a foam or glue arrow ready. We want to immobilize them as soon as possible."

"Got it."

Red Arrow pulled a foam arrow from his own quiver as he ran. He nocked the arrow to the bowstring as he leaped the gap between two buildings. 'Just a little closer… A little bit more…' When he got within thirty feet he shot his arrow. It hit the ground next to the shadow, but they jumped and did a flip onto a chimney to avoid it. As soon as they landed another arrow shot at them from behind and they leaped back onto the rooftop. Red Arrow already had another arrow on his bowstring. He shot it at the shadow, who was running again. The arrow missed and his heart stumbled in it's beating as he once again gave chase. 'Come on, come on, come on…' Red Arrow shot an electroshock arrow, which missed when the shadow suddenly dropped to the rooftop. They slid across the roof and right over the edge. "Oh no!" Red Arrow's heart leaped into his throat as he ran to the edge.

Green Arrow joined his mentor and cautiously peeked over the edge of the rooftop. "Uh…where'd they go?" The street below was completely empty. No signs of the shadow they'd been pursuing.

"I don't know…" Red Arrow surveyed the area carefully. "Let's go down there and sweep this street and the next one."

"Ok."

The two archers climbed down to the street and looked around. Behind every mailbox and car; down every alley. However, the longer they searched and didn't find anything, the more Red Arrow couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in his stomach. 'Something's not right here,' he thought. 'Why is someone running across the rooftops like that?' Two reasons jumped to mind. The first was another vigilante. Given how the reception of vigilantism in Star was lukewarm at best, that seemed unlikely. But the other option wasn't a lot better. 'Someone trained in stealth, evasive maneuvers, mostly likely experienced against archers specifically. They're agile and clearly well trained.' When he finished his search, Red Arrow sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"What's wrong?"

"I have a really bad feeling about the shadow…"

"Why?"

"I think they're an assassin."

"An assassin?! Why do you think that?"

"Did you see the way they moved? That's training, very elite training, to evade all our arrows like that."

"So…if they're an assassin, who do you think they're here to kill?"

Red Arrow shook his head. "I don't know…" It made him simultaneously sick to his stomach and enraged that someone was likely going to be murdered in his city that night. 'No! I won't let it happen. Not while I'm the vigilante here.' He closed his eyes for a moment as he took a deep breath, then opened them. "Here's what's going to happen, GA, we're going to try and track down the assassin."

"How?! The city is huge and if they're as skilled as you say…there's only two of us…"

"We'll have to split up. You keep an eye on the south side of the city and I'll take the north. Stay on the rooftops and keep an eye out. Reach me on the comms if you see anything suspicious."

"And if I see the assassin?"

"Incapacitate them immediately, but keep to a distance. Don't get sucked into a close combat fight and contact me right away. Understand?"

Green Arrow nodded, trying not to acknowledge the fear that was creeping up his insides. 'I go this,' he thought. 'I helped take down Black Manta's henchmen, I can do this. No problem.'

"Good. Stay sharp. I'll check on you in a bit over the comms."

"Ok." Green Arrow took an arrow from his quiver and shot it at a rooftop. He grappled up to the top of the building then, nocked an electroshock arrow to his bowstring before using the rooftops to make his way down the block.

'Be safe, Connor,' Red Arrow thought as he quickly got to a rooftop as well and went off in the opposite direction. 'Please stay safe.' His heart was beating faster and his chest tightened at the thought of separating from his partner like this. He'd never allowed Green Arrow to be more than a few blocks away from him on patrol, but now he was sending the teen off to the other side of the city with a deadly assassin on the loose. Even if it as the only way they had even a chance of catching the assassin, it still felt wrong to leave Green Arrow on his own. 'I have to trust him,' Red Arrow thought as he headed farther north. 'I have to trust that he'll handle himself. And he can. I believe in him. He's a smart kid, he'll be fine.'

Everything was quiet for a while. There were no signs of the shadow as Red Arrow moved from rooftop to rooftop. He kept two arrows nocked to his bowstring as he searched the city. In trying to find the assassin, he gravitated more toward neighborhoods he knew had more crime. If someone was going to be murdered, it'd make sense to do it in an area where crime was higher. 'Where are you?' he wondered as his eyes scanned the streets. The desire to keep his city safe made him antsy. After a while, he checked on Green Arrow. "How's it going?" he asked as he zipped across a street.

"No signs of the shadow," Green Arrow replied. "You?"

"Nothing yet. Keep your eyes peeled."

"Got it."

Red Arrow stopped after another block and looked around. 'How would I even know-' A gunshot rang out on the nearly silent street and he ran toward it. He cleared the alley between two apartment buildings with ease, then shot a zip-line down the street. In exactly 15 seconds, he was on the ground and sprinting toward the sound. As soon as he rounded a corner, he ran into someone. Red Arrow grunted and fell to the ground. His eyes widened behind his mask. "Cheshire?" he asked in confusion. Cheshire, who'd also fallen, looked at him, then back in the direction she'd come from. In the light of the streetlights, Red Arrow could see she was holding her side and dark red blood was staining her green suit. "Are you-"

"She went this way!" a voice shouted.

"Cheshire-" Red Arrow reached for her, but she jerked her arm away and kicked him in the chest. He fell on the ground again with another grunt. "Cheshire, wait!" He grabbed his bow and followed her down a narrow alley. A trail of blood drops gave him a clear path to use down the alley and onto a side street. He looked around, then followed the trail to a store. The blood stopped outside the door and the handle was covered in the red liquid. Red Arrow pulled it open slowly and just enough for him to slip in. It clicked shut quietly behind him. It was some kind of cafe, with empty glass display cases casting a dim light of the room. He took a few steps forward, then dodged to the side as a shuriken flew out of the darkness. "Cheshire, it's Red Arrow. I'm not going to hurt you."

"Yeah, right," Cheshire replied, invisible to him. She coughed loudly. "Don't think I didn't see you and your little sidekick following me earlier."

'So that was her.' Red Arrow kept advancing but had to throw himself to the floor to avoid another shuriken. "I noticed you're bleeding. A lot, by the look of it. What happened?"

"Nothing! I don't need help, especially from a hero!"

"That's what heroes do, they help people." Red Arrow crept closer another few feet and dodged again. "Who's chasing you?"

"None of your business! Now get out of here before your sidekick has to go home alone!"

"Cheshire, I wan to help-" Shouting outside the cafe made him stop. Red Arrow glanced back, then dropped to the floor when he saw several men and women standing outside. He stayed low to the ground so he could crawl away from the door and hide at the edge of the counter. For a few seconds, nothing happened, then the door opened. 'Not good.' As stealthily as possible, he pulled an arrow from his quiver and nocked it to his bowstring.

"The blood trail leads in here," a man said. In the dim light of the display cases, Red Arrow could see guns in their hands. "Spread out and look. We got her good before, so she can't get far."

'These guys hurt Cheshire?' Red Arrow made sure no one was looking in his direction, then quickly somersaulted behind the front counter. As he crawled on the floor, he stopped after a few feet. There was Cheshire, curled up in the corner behind the counter. Her make was gone, revealing the already heavy bruising on her face and several long, bleeding gashes on her face. One of her hands was still on her side, covered in blood. She glared at the vigilante, eyes hard with suspicion. Maybe he was crazy, maybe he was soft, but at that moment Red Arrow knew he had to get Cheshire out of there and get her some medical help. He put his finger to his lips, then pulled another arrow from his quiver. 'There's 7 of them. I just need to scare them off.' With both arrows nocked to his bowstring, he took a deep breath, then stood up.

The sudden appearance of the vigilante took the group chasing Cheshire by surprise. Before either could do anything though, he started firing. Aiming for gun barrels with such limited lighting was difficult, but he still aimed true. By the time the people realized what was going on, he'd already disabled half the guns. They started shooting, but he ducked and waved, careful not to lose his footing on the counter. He missed a couple of the guns but kept shooting guilt he'd disabled each of the guns. That didn't stop them though, because they pulled out knives and came at him.

'Yeah, attacking me head-on after I've already shot out the guns is a great idea,' Red Arrow thought with an eye roll. He jumped off the counter, using his bow to whack one of them in the head. Two knives came at his head, but he ducked under them and grabbed one of the arms. He twisted the arm, then used the man as a shield against the woman who came at him. A solid shove from the man sent them both onto the ground. Another knife landed a shallow bow on his face, but Red Arrow used his bow to deflect most of the blow and stepped toward the attacker, knocking him off balance. A quick punch to the solar plexus had him doubled-over. Red Arrow kneed him in the face, then shoved him to the ground. Immediately after, he ducked under another knife, then kicked the woman in the back of the knees, then trapped her hand under his boot to disarm her.

A man grabbed his arm, but Red Arrow was faster and grabbed the hand. He stepped back to stomp on the man's foot, then twisted his arm. The man yelled and Red Arrow elbowed him in the side as hard as he could. With another yell, the man was on the ground and Red Arrow faced down the remaining three men. They attacked him all at once and he dropped to the ground to somersault toward them. It took the men by surprise and he took advantage to deliver a vicious kick to each of their ankles. The kicks took out each of the men and Red Arrow jumped to his feet.

"Get out of here!" he snapped at them. The group ran out of the cafe, not daring to look back. Red Arrow shut the door behind them, then stowed his bow on his back. He shook his head as he went back to the counter and leaped over it. "Cheshire, they're-" Red Arrow stopped when he saw the corner she'd been in was empty. "-gone." He sighed, then saw the blood trail and followed it again. It led him through the small kitchen to a backdoor, which had a bloody handprint on it. "Cheshire?" Red Arrow stepped outside, into the warm night air. There was one overhead light in the small alley, just above the door, and from the doorway, he could see a foot by the dumpster. The vigilante approached slowly. "Cheshire-"

"Leave me alone, hero," Cheshire hissed.

"You're hurt. You need help-"

"Why would you help me?! I'm a hired killer."

"I know, but you're hurt and if I don't help you, then you could die."

"I'll be fine on my own. Always am."

Red Arrow sighed. "Just let me at least help you. Let me fix up your injuries."

"So you can arrest me after?"

"Have you killed someone tonight?"

Cheshire sighed. "No. I was set up, the bastard was waiting for me."

"Come with me and I'll help you. I swear."

For a few seconds, nothing happened, then Cheshire nodded. "Fine. But the second I'm healed, I'm out of here. Got that?"

"Got it." Red Arrow reached out and helped Cheshire to her feet. He let her lean on him as they made their way out of the alley. When they got to the street, he put his hand to his comm. "Hey, GA?"

"Yeah, Red?" Green Arrow replied right away.

"I found our…shadow. Do you remember where we left the bike?"

"Mhm…"

"Good. I'm on 5th Street, by a cafe. I need you to come pick me up."

"Are you hurt?"

"No, but someone else is. I'll explain when you get here."

"Ok…"

Red Arrow helped Cheshire sit on the ground and lean against the wall. "We're going to have to wait here until my partner gets here with our transportation."

"Kind of out in the open, isn't it?" Cheshire remarked.

"Don't worry, I'll protect you." Red Arrow knelt down and reached out for her. "Can I look at your injury?"

Cheshire shrugged. "Go for it."

Red Arrow carefully lifted her shirt and sucked a breath through his teeth. There were two deep cuts on her torso, both bleeding profusely. "Well, that's not good." He pulled some first aid supplies from one of his pouches and held gaze against the wounds. "They'll need stitches for sure. How'd this happen?"

"Classified."

'Great,' he thought as he pushed more gauze against the wound and wrapped bandages around Cheshire's torso. Once he'd done the same to the second stab wound, he sat back on his heels. "That should hold for now."

"Where are you going to take me?"

"My headquarters. I'll have the medical equipment I need to treat you." Red Arrow stood and looked down the street, but they were alone. 'Good. I don't need to be fighting those guys off again.' It silent as he waited for Green Arrow, occasionally checking on Cheshire to make sure she was still alive. When he heard a motorcycle approaching, he stepped back into the mouth of the alley, letting the shadows keeping him mostly hidden. Thankfully, it was Green Arrow on his bike. "Good to see you,'" Red Arrow said as he stepped out onto the street.

"What's going on?" Green Arrow asked.

"Come see."

Green Arrow approached his mentor, then froze in the front of the alley when he saw Cheshire sitting against the wall. "Who's that?"

"Cheshire she's…injured."

"…Is she the shadow?"

"She is. We're taking her back to the Arrow Cave-"

"What?! Why?!"

"Because she needs help and we have to help her." Red Arrow turned his back to his partner, ending their conversation, and helped Cheshire to her feet. "Are you able to hold onto me? It'll make it easier to drive that way."

"Of course," Cheshire replied easily. She grimaced, but grit her teeth as she wrapped her arms around the vigilante's neck.

Red Arrow gave her a small smile, then picked her up and carried her over to the bike. As he got on and settled Cheshire in front of him, Green Arrow got on the bike behind him. The teen remained silent, swallowing his protests as they drove back to their headquarters.

— —

When they got back to the Arrow Cave, Red Arrow took Cheshire straight over to his medical area. He laid her on the cot, then took off his gloves and started gathering the medical supplies he needed. As he did, he noticed Green Arrow standing off to the side, watching him. "GA, why don't you go home?" he suggested. "This will probably be a while and I'll have to stay until she's well enough to leave."

"Ok…" Green Arrow replied quietly. He gave Cheshire a look she couldn't decipher with his mask on, then went to change.

"Can you take off your shirt?"

"Trying to get me undressed?" Cheshire smiled, voice tense with pain as she slowly slipped off the shirt of her suit. "I thought you'd never ask."

"I have a boyfriend." Red Arrow cut away the temporary bandages he placed on her torso and removed the gauze.

"Doesn't mean you can't look." Cheshire smiled when the vigilante kept his eyes only on her torso but grimaced a second later as pain shot through her body.

"Do you want some pain medicine?"

"Got anything good?"

"I've been shot, of course, I do." Red Arrow rummaged through his small pharmacy of medicines before he found one he was looking for and handed her three pills. Cheshire swallowed them immediately. "I'll numb the area, then start stitching you. You need to take it easy for a few weeks."

"I can't be down for that long."

"You must have a safe-house where you can stay."

"Maybe…"

"Well, you should think about hiding out in one of those until you're better." Red Arrow started stitching the wounds closed. "Still don't want to talk about how this happened?"

Cheshire sighed. "I was hired to kill some mob boss by a rival in Coast City. Only when I got there…they weren't asleep like I was told they would be. No, they were awake and had guns ready. There was also a lot more people than I was expecting."

"Well…try to be more careful."

Cheshire frowned at Red Arrow. "Why do you care?"

"I don't."

"Then why are you helping me?" She didn't get a response. "Spill, hero."

Red Arrow sighed. "I don't know. I just…can't let you die."

"Even if I'm a murderer?"

"Yeah."

Cheshire studied him for a few moments. "I"m not my sister, you know. She might've been happy playing hero but I sure as hell wouldn't be."

"I never said you were. Besides, these days Artemis is happy to just be a college student."

"Humph. Can't see why."

"Can't you?" Red Arrow moved on to the second wound. "You've never thought about a normal life How great it would be to be like everyone else?"

"Of course I thought about it; years ago. But wishing and praying that I had a different life won't change anything. Feeling sorry for myself won't keep me alive or safe."

"I know."

"Do you?"

"I do. We might have different paths now, but you and I aren't that different, Cheshire."

"…I guess not."

"It was silent between the two until Red Arrow was finished stitching the second wound. "There. Now you won't die."

"…Thanks." Cheshire tried to get up, only to cry out as soon s she straightened her torso, then doubled-over in pain.

"Careful. Lay back." Red Arrow helped her lay down. "Your injuries are still fresh. Maybe you should-"

"What? Stay here?" When Red Arrow didn't answer, she smirked. "You'd trust a trained assassin alone in your secret headquarters?"

"I didn't say I'd leave you alone. I have some case files I'm behind on anyways. Just…rest. Get some sleep."

Cheshire hesitated for a moment, reluctant to accept his help. But she was also very injured and knew if she was attacked it'd be hard to defend herself. "Fine. But I'm gone as soon as I wake up."

"Fair enough." Red Arrow grabbed a blanket and spread it over her. "Get some sleep. You'll need it to heal faster."

Cheshire smirked. "I didn't know you were a doctor."

Red Arrow smiled. "Good-night, Cheshire."

"Night, hero."

— —

The sound of the door opening made Mia smile. She quickly finished putting candles on the cake and practically ran into the hall. "Connor?" she asked in confusion when she saw him alone. "Where's Roy? Did you ditch him?"

"No," Connor replied with a small shake of his head. "We had some…trouble on patrol."

"What kind of trouble?"

"We saw a shadow on the rooftops and when we lost her, Roy deduced it was an assassin. So we split up to search. A while later, he got a hold of me on the comm and said to bring the bike to his location. Roy found the assassin and she was injured, so he brought her back to the Arrow Cave to help her."

Mia's eyes widened. "Roy brought an assassin into the Quiver?"

"Yeah."

"…Wow." That felt like a bad idea, but then again Roy was the professional, so what did she know. "When's he coming home?"

"No idea."

Mia glanced at the time as Connor walked past her. "It's only…12:30 am…" She watched him walk into their shared bedroom silently and shut the door. 'Well…just because Roy apparently forgot its Connor's birthday doesn't mean I am.' Feeling slightly bad, Mia cut the cake so she had two pieces, then grabbed two forks and dug out a lighter. When she walked into their bedroom, she found Connor sitting on the floor. "Perfect, you're still up."

"Hmm?" Connor looked back and almost smiled. "Mia, you don't have to-"

"Sure I do." Mia sat on the floor with him and lit the lighter. "We're roomies, and I think this falls under our responsibilities to each other." She lit the two candles, then quietly sang Happy Birthday. When she finished, she waited for a second, but Connor didn't move. "Come on, Connor. Blow out the candles."

Connor did so, then picked up his piece. "Did you make this?"

"I did. I've never had a birthday cake before so I hope it turned out good." She took a bite and nodded. "I mean it tastes good to me."

Connor froze with his fork halfway to his mouth. "You've…never had a birthday cake before?"

"No. My parents weren't exactly the kind of…loving folks who would give their daughter a birthday cake. And Richard's idea of celebrating my birthday was lowering my quota for the night so I had more time to have sex with him instead of clients." She took another bite and nodded. "Wow, I've really been missing out, this is great." As she took her next bite, she noticed Connor was staring at her. "Is something, wrong? Did I make it wrong?"

"No. No." Connor quickly ate two bites. "It's delicious. Thank you, Mia."

"You're welcome. One of my many talents."

Connor smiled and ate another bite. "Guess so."


	18. Everything is Fine

A/N: Hey, readers! I don't know about you guys, but I had a strange and stressful week. But luckily, this update schedule won't change. So, enjoy and leave a review to let me know what you think.

The night passed into the morning too slowly for Roy. He stayed awake the whole night, going over his case files and keeping an eye on the sleeping assassin. Thankfully, Cheshire slept soundly through the night and into the morning. 'Either that pain medicine knocked her out,' he thought as he checked on her. 'Or she hasn't had a good night's sleep in a couple days.' Given how easily she'd been overwhelmed last night, he had a feeling it was the second one. Footsteps on the stairs altered Roy to someone coming down. He turned around and smiled as Mia stepped into the cave.

"I was on my way to therapy and thought you could use some breakfast," Mia said as she handed Roy a bagel and a travel mug of coffee. "Connor's at the library."

"Thanks."

Mia looked around Roy to the woman sleeping on the cot. "So…that's the assassin?"

"Yes."

"And you really thought letting her into our secret headquarters was a good plan?"

"I know what I'm doing, Mia."

"If you say so."

"I do. Go to therapy, I'll pick you up later."

"Ok." Mia gave the sleeping assassin one last curious look before she left.

Roy shook his head as he took a bite of his bagel. 'I know what I'm doing,' he thought. 'Besides, she's injured. If she did try to attack me, I could take her.' He took a sip of the coffee in the travel mug. There was a quiet moan from the cot and he turned to see Cheshire trying to sit up. "Morning."

"Hmm…" Cheshire rubbed the sleep from her eyes wearily and grit her teeth as pain stabbed at her abdomen.

"Want some pain medicine?"

"If you didn't offer I'd just take some."

Roy set his breakfast aside to get her some pills and water. "Do you need help, or-" The items were snatched from his hands and Cheshire downed the pills in one swallow. "Ok. How do you feel?"

"Horrible."

"You look horrible."

"Thanks." Cheshire swung her feet over the edge of the cot but was barely standing for 10 seconds before she collapsed.

"Cheshire!" Roy booted around the cot and reached out, only for her to shove him away. "I'm trying to help."

"Well, I don't need your help, hero. Just leave me alone."

"Unless you plan on crawling out of here, you should let me help." There was a moment of hesitation, then she slowly took his hand. Roy eased her back onto the cot. "At least you didn't pull out the stitches." He grabbed his bagel, then held out half. "Here."

"Why are you doing this?"

"What?"

"This. Helping me."

Roy sighed. "I don't really know to be honest. But I do know that I meant what I said, you and I aren't that different. I just had someone to save me."

"Lucky you."

They lapsed into silence as both of them at their breakfasts.

— —

"—and so I'm really happy with my new boyfriend," Hayley said, swinging her feet idly as she talked. "And he doesn't even do drugs."

"Thank you for sharing, Hayley," Ms. Kylie, the woman who ran the group said. "Everyone, why don't we show our support for Hayley?" A dozen girls all sitting in the circle clapped politely.

'Joy, oh joy,' Mia thought, trying not to roll her eyes as she clapped. A glance at the clock told her there was still another 45 minutes of Group left. 'Ugh…why does this go so slow?' One-on-One with the therapist at the Women's Resource Center wasn't horrible, since she usually just let Mia play Uno the whole time, but there was nothing to do but talk during group. It wasn't that she didn't care about these girls, they seemed alright, but she didn't want to spend an hour and a half every week with 13 people trying to convince her she'd been trafficked. Because she hadn't.

"Mia?" Ms. Kylie asked. "Would you like to share anything about your week?"

Mia shook her head.

"Are you sure?" When Mia, shrugged, Ms. Kylie pursed her lisp a little. "We can only move forward by sharing, Mia."

"Nothing to move forward from," Mia said quietly. "I'm fine."

"Ok. Shauna, would you like to share anything with the group?"

The girl next to Mia nodded and sat up a little straighter. "So…I was walking in the park with my foster parents and…Mike was stalking us. My foster dad called the police, but he was gone by the time they got there."

"Did you talk to him?"

"No. I- I don't want to talk to him ever again. I'm just so tired of it, you know? Him telling me how much he loves me and how good thing will be if I come back. And things are good for a while, but it always goes back to the way it was. I get pimped out to a bunch of gross pervs twice my age and never see a single cent. I'm never going back to Mike. He wasn't my boo, he was my pimp."

"I'm sure we're all glad to hear that, Shauna. Girls, why don't we show her our support?"

Mia wrapped her arms tighter around her torso as everyone else clapped politely again. Her stomach twisted into knots and her heart pounded in her chest. Every person in the circle was suddenly too close and the quiet claps were like thunder booming in the clouds. She swallowed and shook her head. 'Fuck this!' Mia left her seat without warning and didn't pay attention to anyone as she left the room, slamming the door behind her. She walked down the narrow hall to the water fountain. Her hand shook as she pushed the bar on the front and took a long, cool drink. She dipped her forehead beneath the stream of water for a few seconds, then lifted her hand. The hall was completely deserted; the only sound her own erratic breathing. Mia swallowed, then sat down with her back against the wall before her legs could collapse.

'I hate therapy!' she thought as she buried her face in her legs. 'I hate it! They're trying to convince me of something that didn't happen by making me listen to everyone! But it didn't! I wasn't trafficked, I wasn't!' Mia grabbed the fabric of her jeans to stop the shaking. 'I wasn't trafficked, I wasn't.' She kept repeating the words in her mind, but it never made them feel more real.

"Mia?" a soft voice asked.

Mia jerked her head up and quickly wiped away the ghosts of a few tears that had escaped her eyes. It was Ms. Nicky, her one-on-one therapist. "What?"

"You looked upset. Why aren't you in Group?"

"Group is stupid and I didn't want to be there."

"You understand that attending Group is a condition of your probation, right?"

"Yes, I do! Christ! Can you people stop reminding me that I'm one goddamn slip up from being sent to juvie for one week?!"

"I'm sorry. That's not my intention, I just want to help."

"You can help by leaving me alone. I don't need to be here. I'm not…like those other girls."

Nicky paused for a moment. She'd only had Mia as a client for a couple months, but this was a constant theme in their meetings. "Would you like to for a walk?"

"Where?"

"Around the grounds. It's a beautiful day out today."

Mia sighed. As much as she didn't want to, sitting on the floor wasn't a fun option either. "Sure." She stood and shoved her hands into her pockets as she followed Nicky.

"Is your foster dad picking you up after?"

"Yeah. Ray's coming later." Where they would inevitably tell him that she'd walked out of Group. Again. "You gonna tell him I'm still being a bitch about this?"

"We want him to be a part of the healing process, Mia. The more involved Ray is, the greater chance we have of success." A few moments of silence passed. "Can I ask you a question?"

"You can ask, doesn't mean I have to answer."

Nicky stopped in front of the double-doors that led to the small, fenced-in lawn behind the center. "If I were to tell you that behind the left door is your foster dad, and behind the right door, is your pimp-"

"Boyfriend."

"But you could only choose one door, right here right now, which would you choose?"

Mia frowned. "What kind of fucked up mind game is this?"

"It's just a thought exercise. Which door? Left or right?"

The silence stretched into a minute as Mia remained silent. "Why does it matter?"

"It matters, because if you belonged with Richard, as you've so often claimed, then you wouldn't hesitate to choose the right door."

"So, Ray's not a complete jerk. What does that prove?"

"To me, nothing."

Mia glared at her. "If you got to ask me a question, then I should be allowed to ask you one."

"Ask away."

"Why do you do this? Why go through all this trouble to help these girls?"

"Because I was like you once." They left the building and began circling the yard. "I started being trafficked by my own parents when I was five. I was 14 when I ran away from home and met my pimp. He was…handsome and glamorous. Drove a nice car and brought me pretty jewelry and took me to out for good food. I was convinced he loved me because he kept saying he'd give me a far better life than my parents had. Even when he sold my body to other men, I stood by him. I was arrested when I was 16, then again when I was 21."

"When did you…stop?"

"When I was 27. I was addicted to heroin and he beat me so bad that I was hospitalized. My nurse was so nice and understanding. I was so used to everyone judging me and accusing me of ruining my own life, that when she offered to help I didn't know what to think. But I did know I was tired. Tired of the drugs, the prostitution. Tired of my pimp telling me he loved me one day and beat me the next. So when the nurse offered me help, I took it. It wasn't easy, especially getting sober, but I made it and eventually got my psychology degree so I could help young girls like yourself."

Mia wrapped her arms around herself. "I'm tired of it sometimes…" she admitted quietly. "I see all these girls my age who get to go to dances and the mall. They don't have to sleep with all these men just to survive."

"You don't have to go back to it, Mia. You can have a better life."

"But this life is all I know. My dad started raping me when I was 6 and then with Richard… What if this is it? What if there's nothing better for me out there? Things are good with Ray right now, but…what if they don't stay that way? They always start out good and then it all goes to hell."

"It doesn't have to be. It seems like Raymond really cares about you. He's gone through a lot of trouble to get you back into school."

"Yeah, he's really got this nice-guy-hero complex."

"I'm sure it's more than that."

'It is. I know it is. Roy's told me about how he was abused when he was my age.' And yet she still couldn't turn off the voice in her head that insisted it was a trap. That it was all going too well with Roy and Connor. Another shoe would drop like it always did. "Am I wrong for wanting an…escape route?"

"What do you mean?"

"Whenever I start to think about how things can go wrong, I remember that Richard is out there. It makes me feel better because, if it is horrible, I can always run and go back to him. It might not be great, but at least I feel better."

"You aren't wrong for thinking it, but I must emphasize that no matter what's happening at home, you can always come to us. We're to help."

'As you keep reminding me.' Mia nodded. "I still don't like this whole…therapy thing. I'm not crazy."

"Therapy isn't for crazy people. It's for anyone who needs help."

"Well, I'm fine." Even if she still had nightmares about hands grabbing and touching and pinning her down. Even if she needed to roll herself up in her blankets like a burrito to sleep, no matter how hot it was. Even if thinking about what had happened made his heart pound and her breathing erratic. Because the other option was that she had even more than HIV chasing her for the rest of her life. So she was fine. Mia didn't need therapy. She was absolutely fine.

— —

When Roy picked Mia up from therapy, the teen was silent as usual. "How was it?" he asked.

"Fine," Mia said. "I ran out of Group again, so you'll probably be getting a call about that."

"Thanks for the heads up, I guess. Can I ask why?"

"Because Group is stupid and pointless."

"Therapy isn't pointless, MIa. It's there to help you."

"I don't need help. I'm fine."

"I went through years of therapy to be fine."

"Well, maybe I'm just more resilient than you." Mia winced at how callous that sounded but bit her tongue. 'Great job, idiot. At this rate, I'll get myself thrown out before things go bad.' If Roy was hurt by her words, he didn't show it. But there was a long silence.

"We're going to my office so you can train today. Cheshire is still there, so I'm going to give you sunglasses to wear and call me by my codename. Understand?"

"Yeah. Is Connor there?"

"He is."

"Ok." Mia looked out the window silently for the rest of the ride. When they got to Roy's office, she followed him downstairs to the Quiver. As they walked, he handed her a pair of sunglasses, then put on a pair for himself. Connor was shooting at one of the targets while the assassin, Cheshire, Mia presumed, was watching him.

"Teach the kid yourself?" Cheshire asked, nodding her head at Connor.

"I did, but he already knew some basics when he found me," Roy replied.

"Hmm…" Cheshire watched as Mia tied a blanket around her neck, then strapped a quiver to her back and grabbed a practice bow. "What's with the blanket, girly?"

"I want to have a cape, but Ro- Red Arrow says that archers shouldn't have them," Mia explained as she stood in front of the second target.

"Capes are impractical for an archer," Roy reaffirmed as he walked over to Connor and adjusted teen's hand on his bowstring.

"But if I keep practicing like this, I can prove him wrong."

Cheshire smirked. "Guess so…" she replied.

"Alright, come on, M- Little Arrow. Let's see you shoot ten bullseyes," Roy said.

"I'm not taking the codename 'Little Arrow'," Mia muttered under her breath as she nocked an arrow and drew back the bowstring. It was said so quiet, but she saw the corner of Connor's mouth go up.

It was relatively quiet for a long time as Roy moved between Mia and Connor, watching them shoot. 'Mia's stance is getting much better,' he thought as he watched her. 'Her accuracy still needs improvement though, and her hand-to-hand combat isn't ready for my specialized fighting technique yet. But she's really coming along.' He turned to Connor and smiled. "Speed shooting, time, GA. Two minutes, and…go!"

Connor moved as fast as he could. He pulled arrow after arrow from his quiver and shot them off the bowstring as fast as he could. His heart pounded in his chest as he kept shooting.

"Time." He did a quick count of Connor's arrows. "…Well, technically you hit the target 16 times, but only 14 of those were bullseyes."

"Is it really that important that we have so many bullseyes?" Mia asked as she pulled arrows from the target, having only achieved 9 bullseyes in a row.

"It is. When you're shooting at people it's important that you don't miss. Most of our arrows are non-lethal, but when you're using sharp arrows it can be easy to kill someone."

'Cute,' Cheshire thought as she watched the two younger archers re-load their quivers. 'He's really that concerned with trying not to kill people.'

Roy turned around to see the amused look Cheshire was giving him. "What?"

"Nothing, it's just so cute to see you instilling your silly hero values in the next generation."

"It's not silly," Connor said. "Heroes shouldn't kill people."

"Not even people like Green Arrow?"

"Ignore her," Roy told the teens. "Keep practicing." He took a moment to make sure they were shooting before walking over to Cheshire. "Can you not say stuff like that to them?"

"Why? Didn't you tell them about our past with the Emerald Archer?"

Roy winced. "I have, but you still don't need to say stuff like that. I don't kill."

"I know."

"I take that rule very seriously. Its the only thing separating me from Green Arrow."

Cheshire raised her eyebrows. "Really, the only thing, hero?"

"Well- maybe it's not the only thing, but its an important part of it." Roy crossed his arms. "And as long as you're here, you need to respect that."

"…Fine…" Cheshire resisted the urge to roll her eyes. 'I should probably stay on the good side of the guy with access to pain medicine.' And speaking of that… "Do you think I could have another dose?"

Roy checked the time, then nodded. "Of course."

"…How long is she here for?" Connor asked as he watched Roy get some pain medicine and a glass of water. Mia stopped shooting to look as well.

"I- I don't know. Until she's healed enough to leave, I guess."

"So…she's just gonna hang out here?" Mia asked.

"How's that going to work?"

"Yeah, you can't stay in the Quiver 24-hours a day to watch her."

"The Quiver?" Cheshire asked, almost laughing.

"The Arrow Cave isn't called the Quiver," Roy cut in. "And…I don't know. My training didn't cover what to do if you find an inured assassin and have to bring her back to your search headquarters." Although considering Bruce's fascination with Talia al Ghul it really should've. "And it's not like we can bring her home-"

"Why not?"

"Because that would give away our secret identities."

Cheshire rolled her eyes. "Ok, look, hero, I know who you are. I've known for years."

"What- How?!"

"I worked with your former mentor when he was working for the Light. He might've brought your name up once or twice." Every five minutes. The degree to which Oliver Queen had been obsessed with his ex-sidekick had been both annoying and concerning.

"Who are the Light?" Connor asked.

"No one," Roy told him quickly. He turned back to Cheshire. "You really know who I am?"

"I do, Roy. So here's the situation. I can't leave because if I go out on my own like this, I'll definitely get killed. I need to wait until I'm healed enough to get revenge on that Dead-Man in Coast City that set me up. In the meantime, I already know who you are and I'd like to sleep on something slightly more comfortable than your cot."

Roy hesitated for a few seconds, very aware of Mia and Connor staring at his back. "Even if you know my identity, I have to protect them." He gestured to the two teens behind him.

"Giving away your identity would do me no good, but I'll offer you a trade. Let me stay until I'm healed enough to leave, and I'll keep your little family here a secret. Agreed?"

Roy sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Guess you don't leave me much of a choice." With another sigh, he took off the sunglasses.

"Hm…Nice eyes."

"…Thanks." Roy looked back. "You guys can take your glasses off." Connor and Mia looked at each other, then shrugged and took their own sunglasses off. "This is Connor and Mia."

"Nice you meet you kids."

"You too…" Connor said slowly. "I guess…"

"Sure…" Mia agreed with the same amount of uncertainty. She looked at Roy. "Does this mean she's living with us now?"

"For the time being, yes," Roy replied. He checked the time again. "It's almost dinner time. You guys put your equipment away and I'll help Cheshire-"

"Jade," she said. The three heroes looked at her. "My name is Jade."

"Fine. I'll help Jade get home. Got it?" Both teens nodded before moving to put their bows and quivers away. Roy walked over to Had and helped her put her shirt on. "So…Jade?"

"Figured I should level the playing field a little more. Fairness and all that tingly stuff you heroes love."

"Right." Roy helped her stay for a second, then picked her up in his arms. 'I can't believe I'm doing this,' he thought as he followed Connor and Mia up the stairs. Somehow his quiet life in Star had come to include, Oliver Queen's biological son, the in-denial-but-still-obviously-traumatized victim of human trafficking, and an assassin. 'Yeah this…good. Nothing overwhelming about this at all. None what so ever.'

And honestly, what other curve balls could life throw him at this point?


	19. Ordinary (And Not So) Events

A/N: So, depending on how you look at it, this is sort of the start of the season 2 plot. (Chronologically, the story is still a year from the start of the Season 2 events in-universe.) Anyways, enjoy the chapter and let me know what you think!

[September 2014]

The silence and stillness of the early morning lulled Connor into a trance. Everything from the cushion he was sitting on to the early morning sunlight on his skin melted away. There was nothing but his breathing. The stress of life was gone for several minutes and he didn't have to worry about a single thing. Until Mia's alarm went off. The high-pitched beeping was his cue to end his morning meditation, so he sighed quietly and stood. From the top bunk, Mia moaned and rolled over as he went over to his dresser and hit the button on the top of the clock. He grabbed his school clothes from his dresser, then slipped out of their bedroom. The quiet sounds of Roy making breakfast carried from the kitchen as Connor went into the bathroom.

Meanwhile, Mia groaned again as she hauled herself out of bed and stretched. She rubbed her tired eyes and yawned. 'Stupid nightmare,' she thought irritably as she grabbed her school clothes. 'Why does school have to start so early?' As much as she was enjoying school, it'd be nice to sleep in a little. 'Oh well, can't complain or Roy will try to stop me from becoming a vigilante.' So, she just grumbled silently to herself and sat in the hall outside the bathroom. Thankfully, she only had to wait a few minutes before Connor emerged and she could shower.

Connor went back to the bedroom and ran a hairbrush through his hair quickly before he grabbed his backpack. A quick check told him his homework and school issue laptop were in there, then he went to the kitchen. As he walked through the living room, he saw that Jade was already awake. She caught Connor's eye as he walked past, but he looked away quickly.

"Morning, Connor," Roy said as he set a plate of scrambled eggs in front him.

"Morning," Connor replied as he got a glass of milk before sitting down. "Is she… Is Jade any better?"

Roy hesitated for a second. "The swelling has gone down a bit, but the infection isn't gone yet." It had been a week since he'd discovered the infection that had set upon Jade's stab wounds. As much as Roy had blamed himself for not cleaning the wounds properly, Jade had blamed the filthy knives of her attackers and her own attempts to stem the bleeding with her hands. Either way, it had extended her healing time.

"Oh…"

"Jade's not going to hurt you, Connor. I-"

"I know, you promised she wouldn't hurt me or Mia. But she's a murderer, Roy. She's killed people before and that's… It scares me."

"That doesn't make her a bad person, Connor." Roy picked up Jade's breakfast and brought it into the living room. "Here." He set the plate down on the coffee table with some orange juice and a few pills.

"Thanks," Jade replied. She sat cross-legged on the couch, leaning heavily on the back and trying to ignore the pain stabbing at her abdomen.

"You know…you don't have to eat out here by yourself."

"I'd prefer it. Besides, I'd probably just make your kiddies so nervous they wouldn't eat anything." Jade nodded her head toward the kitchen. "Go on, hero."

Roy nodded, then stood and went back to the kitchen. When he walked in Mia was already there, showered and eating her breakfast. "Morning, Mia."

"Morning," Mia mumbled.

"Do you guys want me to drop you off at school, or-"

"We can walk, right, Connor?"

"Yeah, we can walk," Connor agreed.

"Ok. Just be careful," Roy told them. It was encouraging to him that the two teens were close enough that they liked doing something as mundane as walking to school together. 'Even if is mundane, it's good for them to enjoy these kinds of things. It gives them some bonding time.'

"Did you know they have an archery team at school?" Mia asked.

"I did and no, you two can't join it.'

"Why not?! You wanted us to think about doing some extracurricular activities and we could literally be the best…besides this 6th grader, I heard about, apparently, she's the best shot on the middle school team."

"Answer's still no, Mia."

"Lame."

Mia and Connor finished their breakfasts, then disappeared to the bathroom to brush their teeth. While they were doing that, Roy did the dishes, then checked on Jade. "Will you be ok by yourself?" he asked her.

"Always am," Jade replied. "Not much else to do besides sleep off the infection and read." She nodded at the book he gave her to occupy herself with.

"Ok. I'll come check on you again around lunchtime and give you some more pills."

"See you then, I guess." Jade laid down on the couch and tried to relax.

Roy watched her for a moment before he got his things together to leave. By the time he had his bag and keys, Connor and Mia were at the. "Did you grab lunch money?" he asked.

"Yeah!" both teens answered.

"Ok. Be careful. Come to the Cave right after school."

"We will," Connor said as they left. "Bye!"

"Later, Roy!" Mia called. The two were soon walking down the street to their school. "Do you ever think about how weird it is we have to wear the same clothes to school?"

"Its a uniform, Mia. All the kids have to wear them."

"I know, but it's still weird. Like we're in some kind of…educational army."

Connor snorted. "Sure…" This new school was an improvement over his old one due to the smaller student body. Granted, the middle schoolers here seemed to be just as rambunctious, but at least there was less of them. It was easier to deal with, even if he still only wanted to get in, learn, and get out.

"We're eating lunch together again?"

"If you want to."

"Good." They walked in silence for another 20 minutes before they reached the school and walked through an archway into a large courtyard. To their left was the wing of the building dedicated to the Elementary school students, Grades K through 5. In front of them was the middle school building, grades 6 through 8; and to their right, the high school building, grades 9 through 12. Connor and Mia walked across the busy courtyard where the high school students usually hung out before school started, and went through the middle school building to the yard behind it. It was the length of the building and stretched to the road. It was mostly asphalt, with a third of it covers by grass where a soccer game was being held. Connor sat on the ground, back against the school building, just out of the way of a basketball game. He looked over to the left, where he could see a corner of the elementary school playground. He pulled a book out of his bags and read.

While Connor was sitting and reading, Mia wandered around the yard. It'd been so long since she'd been in school that the first couple of weeks back were still…weird. All these kids, all her own age, were so…different from her. At least she assumed so since she couldn't really tell if any of them had been prostitutes just by looking. A few people she recognized from summer school waved to her and she waved back. 'At least everyone seems to be pretty nice,' she thought. 'And…no one knows my past. I can just be Mia.' It was a weird feeling that she had a clean slate to work with. 'Can't get too comfortable though. I still have to stay vigilant. In case things go bad.' Her gaze wandered over to Connor, who was still reading.

A girl in their shared history class approached him and tapped his shoulder. The two appeared to talk for a minute before she gestured at the yard, most likely asking Connor to come do something with her. Connor just shook his head though. The girl said something else, probably trying to convince him, but he still shook his head, so the girl walked off. Mia frowned as Connor went back to his book. 'He could've at least gone with her,' she thought as she kept walking. 'What's her name…Hannah. She's a nice girl and seems pretty smart.' A small smile crept up Mia's face. 'I wonder if Connor likes her? Maybe that's why he didn't want to go with her.' It was definitely something to talk about at lunch. The bell rang and she followed everyone toward the doors into the building.

— —

The morning was relatively slow for Roy's private detective business. He didn't get any new clients but spent the morning going over his cases, figuring out what he'd established so far. 'I can probably spend the afternoon in the city running down some of these leads.' A potentially cheating husband and a runaway teenage girl were at the top of his list. He was neck-deep in evidence when his phone went off.

Kaldur: Can I come see you this afternoon?

Roy: Sure, we can have lunch if you want

Kaldur: No, it is ok. I do not want to distract you from your work. It will be quick

Roy: Is everything ok?

Kaldur: I am physically well, my love. There has been…a development I wish to inform you of

Roy: …ok. Meet me at my office at 1 pm.

Kaldur: Until then

As he looked over the quick exchange, Roy's stomach flip-flopped a little. 'What does Kal need to talk about?' he wondered as he picked up a file. 'Maybe there's some kind of problem with the Team. Or Dick and Barbara…' The second thought made his chest clench a little. Worry that something could be wrong with his siblings plagued Roy as he tried to go back to work. 'It might not be Barbara,' he thought as he re-read his missing person's case, not comprehending anything he was reading. 'We don't talk all the time, but I've been on a better basis with her for the past 18 months compared to Dick.' Granted, it'd been a few months since he'd last spoken to her because of how busy he'd been with Mia and Connor. 'But if something drastic happened, she'd tell me.' Which left Dick.

The idea that anything could've happened to his younger brother, no matter the distance between them for the last year, terrified Roy. Eventually, he had to sigh and throw his file onto the desk. 'I need to calm down,' he thought, rubbing the heel of his palms into his eyes. 'I need to calm down. If something was seriously wrong- If Dick was seriously inured or- Kal wouldn't be so calm. I mean…he sounds a little freaked, but he would be a lot more concerned if something was really wrong.' He closed his eyes and started counting in his head as he breathed. Inhale—1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Hold—1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. Exhale—1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Roy repeated this until his heart rate was slower and the jumpy feeling under his skin was slower. Some of the anxiety persisted, but it was manageable enough he was able to take an inventory of the evidence for his cases and figure out what he was doing when he headed into the city that afternoon.

By the time it was noon, Roy's worry was simmering and he went home to make lunch for himself and Jade. Since she'd come to stay with him a couple weeks prior, Roy had made a habit of going back to his apartment to eat lunch so he could check on her. When he walked in, Jade was in the same place where he'd left her, laying on the couch, reading a book. "Having fun?" Roy asked.

"I think this is the longest I've ever spent laying anywhere," Jade replied, a hint of anyone in her voice.

"You've never been injured like this before?"

"Not like this. God, I must be getting sloppy."

Roy gave her a small smile as he passed into the kitchen. "Maybe you just had a bad night."

"I don't have bad nights."

"Guess you do now."

"Don't think I can't get you from this couch, hero!"

Roy laughed as he walked into the kitchen and fixed lunch for both of them. Once he had sandwiches and chips on tow plates, the grabbed the pills Jade would need, and balanced everything between his hands and arms. "Here," he said as he set the plates and cups down, then handed her the pills. "Looks like I finally found the medicine to fight this infection."

"You're quite the pharmacist to get a hold of these kinds of antibiotics."

"Don't use that tone. I know a physician in Gotham who got these for me."

"Mhm… You can tell me the truth, hero. I won't give up your secrets."

"Why don't you eat your lunch?"

Jade smiled and placed her plate in front of her on the couch. She took a few bites, then picked up the book she'd been reading. "You know…I've secretly always wanted to read these."

Roy glanced up and smiled when he saw the Harry Potter book in her hand. "Why didn't you?"

"There isn't much time for free reading when your income depends on the number of people you can kill in a week. Besides, I only have like…an 8th or 9th-grade education, so I just kind of figured books aren't my thing."

"Books can be everyone's thing. Reading was how I stayed sane once I was in Gotham and forced to stay hidden from Green Arrow all the time."

"Well, if there's one good thing about this…fiasco, I can enjoy some simple pleasures in life."

"When you finish the books, I'll show you the movies."

"How do you know I'll finish them all?"

Roy nodded his head at the book. "You've made it through the first two and a half in 9 days. You'll make it through the rest no problem."

"If this was what Batman placated you with, I can see why you're so in love with this idea of a normal life."

"Is there something wrong with that?"

"I think it's cute. You're like a puppy chasing his tail."

Roy frowned. "…I'm not sure if I should be offended by that."

Jade shrugged. "I couldn't care less if you're offended."

"Good to know." They lapsed into silence for the rest of their lunch. Despite being from opposite ends of the justice spectrum, after several days of eating together, the two sat in companionable silence. When Roy finished, the took their dishes and put them in the kitchen. "Will you be ok for the rest of the day?"

"I'm more than capable, hero."

"Right. See you tonight." Roy left, glancing back to see Jade was once again laying down as he left. Excitement pooled in his stomach a bit as he walked back to his office. 'Ka's going to be here soon. I haven't seen him in…a couple weeks. He had those missions with Aquaman and I've had teenagers and assassins dividing my attention.' Even if it seemed like his boyfriend had something important to talk to him about, just the prospect of seeing him after being apart for so long excited Roy. 'I can't wait to see him.' He didn't have to wait long, because as soon as he walked in, someone knocked on the back door. Roy grinned inexplicably and practically ran to the back room. He opened the door and took a moment to survey Kaldur. "You look tired."

"Good to see you too," Kaldur replied, trying hard to smile. Too hard. Roy could see it was forced and tried to clamp down on the rising anxiety inside himself.

"What's going on?" Roy asked as Kaldur walked in and he closed the door.

Kaldur glanced around, almost suspiciously. "Is it safe to talk here?"

"It is, but if this conversation is…sensitive, we can go somewhere more private."

"I'd appreciate that."

"Ok." Roy went over to the entrance to the Arrow Cave and opened it. The two descended the stairs and when Roy turned around to look was Kaldur. 'What's going on?"

"You know I have spent the last month on missions with Aquaman. We were attempting to dismally Black Manta's forces. It was a success but…"

"But…"

Kaldur sighed quietly and hung his head a little. "On our last mission…I was captured by Black Manta's forces."

"What?! You were captured?!" Worry and frustration that he was just now hearing this flooded Roy. He put a hand on Kaldur's arm, eyes searching him for injury. "Are you-"

"I am fine. They did not hurt me…a lot. I was a little roughed up, but not severely injured. The men brought me to Black Manta."

"What did he want?"

Kaldur swallowed. "He just started talking— monologuing— telling me how ridiculous it was that followed my king. How I was a fool and brainwashed. I told him I was not brainwashed for following my king and protecting my home and family. That was when he told me that while I protected my family, I was betraying them as well. When I asked what he meant, he claimed that fighting with Aquaman made me a traitor to my human blood. I- I feared that he knew who my parents were. And I was right."

"Black Manta knows your family?!"

"I wish it were that simple." Kaldur looked at the ground for a long moment, then looked back at Roy. "Black Manta told me…"

"Kal, whatever it is, you can tell me."

"…Black Manta is my father."

"W- What? But… I thought your dad's name was Calvin?"

Kaldur shook his head sadly. "According to Manta, Calvin was one of his men who was meant to infiltrate Atlantis with the help of my mother— Black Manta's lover."

Roy stared at him open-mouthed for a few seconds. "But… Black Manta is lying, right? Why would you believe anything he says?!"

"I did not at first. I believed it was a lie meant to make me doubt my king and parents. But…when Aquaman showed up to rescue me, Manta told him to be honest about who my father was and to stop lying as a way to control me. I expected my king to deny that he would do anything of the sort…but he said nothing. For a few seconds, he even looked…guilty. Like he had been caught doing something wrong. Black Manta got away, but Aquaman was more concerned with helping me. I asked him why he did not deny Black Manta's claims he simply said we should return home. I was concerned he would not tell me the truth, so I confronted him and demanded he be honest. That was when he told me that it would not be right for him to tell me and that I should talk to my parents."

"…And?"

Kaldur's face fell even more. "When I confronted them…my parents confessed to having lied to me. Clavin Durham is not, and has never been my father. Black Manta is."

"Oh my God… What did you say?!"

"I- I did not say much. I asked if Annex Orin knew and my mother said they informed him when I became Aqualad."

"So your parents and Aquaman-"

"Have lied to me for years. Yes."

"Oh my God…" There didn't feel like a more appropriate phrase. "What happened after that?"

"I swam off. I left Shayeris and got to the surface as soon as possible."

"You ran away?"

"I had to! I'm so… Roy, my parents lied to me for my whole life about who I am! My entire partnership with Aquaman has been tainted by this lie they fed me! My parents never even told me they had ever worked for Black Manta! My enemy was more honest with me than my own family and mentor!"

'Yeah…I can see why that might be freaking him out.' Roy slid his hand down to entangle his fingers with Kaldur's. "What're you going to do now?"

Kaldur sighed heavily. "I do not know. I have spoken to Aquaman briefly over the comm and requested a reprieve from my duties."

"You're quitting being Aqualad?"

"For a short time. I am also stepping back from the Team. Nightwing is taking over as leader."

"For how long?"

"I do not know. I just… I need some time and space to think. To figure this out on my own."

A question burned at Roy's mind, but the idea of asking it sent cold fear down his body. He knew he had to ask though. There was no way around it. "What about us?"

"I am afraid I will not be around as much. I really just need space to think. It does not mean I do not love you, Roy, because I do. You are my world and-"

Roy silenced him by stepping forward and kissing him on the lips. The two stood there for a few seconds, kissing, before Roy slowly pulled away. "I love you and I'm not going anywhere. Take as much time as you need. I'll still be here when you get back."

Kaldur smiled and cupped the side of Roy's face gently with his hand. "How am I so lucky to have someone as wonderful as you, my love?"

"I promise, it's nothing more than you deserve." They kissed again, this time more passionately and longer before they broke apart again. "Can you promise me something?"

"Anything."

"Promise me that if you need help, if you get in over your head or just need someone, swear that you will come back to Star or contact me."

"Of course I will. There is no one I would rather contact."

"Good." They kissed again and Roy inhaled deeply through his nose; trying to commit the saltwater smell of Kaldur's skin to memory. When they pulled apart, they spent a few seconds in silence with their foreheads touching.

"I should go."

"Ok." Something in Roy's chest ached at letting Kaldur leave, not knowing when they would see or talk to each other again, but he knew he had to. His boyfriend's whole world had suffered a seismic shift. For someone as dedicated to protecting his home and serving Aquaman as Kaldur was, Roy knew this was nothing short of a full betrayal in his eyes. 'Kal needs some time to figure things out. And if I love him, then I can't deny him that.' So, as hard as it was, he nodded and stepped back, leaving his fingers still gently entwined with Kaldur's. "Promise you'll come back?"

"I promise. I will be here for you; always."

— —

Lunchtime at Star City Charter Academy Middle School was a little chaotic. There was only one cafeteria for the entire school, so all three middle school grades shared one lunch period. As such, there was a certain…controlled chaos to all of it. For Mia, it was kind of exciting. Middle school was an experience. She sat in a chair in the corner of the room with her lunch and waited for Connor. He showed up about 5 minutes later, looking at a lot less excited about this than Mia did. "Having a good day?" she asked.

Connor shrugged. "Same as ever I guess.," he replied as he put his chicken nuggets on Mia's tray and took the pears, green beans, and half her mashed potatoes. "We have a project on world religions for social studies."

"Do we? Ugh! I don't know anything about religion. What're you doing it on?"

"Buddhism. Duh."

"Oh, right. Guess I'll do that too." Mia watched him for a few seconds as he ate. "Why'd you blow off that girl before first bell?"

"You mean Alyssa? She wanted to go over our Algebra notes together before the quiz today."

"And you said no?"

"I said I didn't want to."

"Why?"

Connor frowned. "Why what?"

'Why didn't you want to?"

"Because I just didn't. What're you, practicing interrogation techniques or something?"

Mia rolled her eyes and played with a chicken nugget. "You're so weird-"

"Hey, Mia," a blonde girl said as she approached their table with a tray.

"Oh, hey, Cissie."

"Can I join you guys?"

"Sure." Mia pointed her chicken nugget at Cassie as sat down next to Connor. "Cissie, Connor. Connor, Cissie. She's in my math and English classes."

"Nice to meet you," Connor said.

"You too. Are you guys siblings or something?"

Mia grinned mischievously. "Twins."

Connor almost snorted out his milk. "Mia!" He looked at Cissie. "We're not twins. We're foster siblings."

"Sure you are," Cissie replied. Connor sighed and put his head down while the girls high-fived. "Mia, are you doing anything during the free period?"

"Not really, why?" Mia asked.

"Can you help me with the writing assignment? My dad was working all night."

"Sure! It's actually not that hard."

"What about me?" Connor asked.

"You're not in our English class."

"No, I mean…we usually hang out during free period."

"You'll be fine, go hang out with your friends or something."

"…Fine." Connor looked down and quietly finished his lunch. When they were done, Mia and Cissie left for the library, leaving Connor alone to sit outside. The schoolyard was filled with students running around, so he sat by the wall again. 'Friends,' he scoffed. 'I don't need friends. School is just a chore I have to get through. No one can make me enjoy it.' At least the day was halfway over. Then he had a patrol to look forward to that night. A movement from the corner of his eye caught his attention. Another boy with black hair was drawing with chalk on the tar. He was so focused on it that he didn't even notice Connor watching. Only when he reached for another color a minute later did he notice the staring. He looked up and Connor caught a glimpse of his bright green eyes before he looked away. There was a moment of awkward silence before the boy went back to his chalk drawing.

A weird…fluttery feeling tingled in Connor's chest and stomach. He pulled his legs to his chest and put his head down on his knees. 'I don't need friends,' he thought. 'I don't need them. I'm fine. I'm doing fine.'


	20. Twists and Turns

A/N: Time for the next chapter! Enjoy and let me know what you think

"You have to hold it like this," Roy instructed, fixing Mia's grip on her bow. "That'll give you the leverage you need to swing it. Now practice changing your grip."

Mia frowned in concentration as she practiced the various grips Roy had been showing her. Her fingers didn't quite cooperate though, and the bow ended up falling to the floor. "Dammit!"

"Language."

"That's like the fifth time!"

"Keep practicing, you'll get it." Roy wandered over to where Connor was shooting to check on his progress.

"F- Frick!" Mia picked up hew bow with a dramatic sigh.

"Don't think about it so much," Jade said from where she was sitting in Roy's computer chair. "Just…let your fingers move."

"How?"

Jade rolled her eyes and used her feet to wheel herself over to the teen. She held out her hand and Mia gave her the bow. "Like this." With apparent ease, she held the bow in a shooting grip, then twirled it in her fingers to change to a backhanded grip. "See?"

"Yeah, but you're like…I don't know, crazy skilled or something."

"You're thinking about it too much. Just keep your hand and fingers moving."

Mia took back her bow, then held it in a firm grip. She tried to flip it, but it fell. 'Don't think, just move.' Bow in hand, Mia just let her fingers move The bow made it around and slipped off her fingers, but she reached her hand out further and caught it. "I did it!"

"See? Like I said, just move, don't think."

A smile spread across Mia's face as she did it again. "Yes! I'll be able to take people out with it in no time."

"That's the spirit."

Roy watched them from the targets with a small smile. 'Maybe she's actually enjoying her recovery time,' he thought as he turned back to Connor before Jade could see him staring. "Keep your arrow level, Connor."

"I'm trying," Connor replied as he adjusted the projectile slightly. "It's harder when you're shooting so fast."

"I know. Just keep practicing, you'll get it."

Mia beamed with pride as she completed another grip change on the bow. "I'm getting the hang of this."

"Good." Roy walked over and nodded as he observed her. "Tomorrow I'll start teaching you our specialized fighting style."

"Finally! I"m already getting good enough to kick Connor's butt with normal fighting techniques."

Roy glanced back at Connor, who shook his head. "Uh-huh…" He looked at the time. "Ok, Mia, time to go home. Connor and I have to patrol."

"Aww…"

"I can stay here with her," Jade offered.

"You don't know anything about archery."

"For your information, hero, I know somethings. And I can help her with hand to hand combat."

Roy bit his lip, very aware of the intense look Connor was giving his back and the almost pleading look Mia had. Eventually, though, he had to sigh, then looked at Jade. "Only teach her hand to hand, don't teach her any moves that can kill, and no physical activity. You'll keep aggravating the wounds and then they'll never heal."

"Yeah, yeah, I got it."

"Ok. Connor, suit up."

Connor hesitated, but eventually nodded and went to do as he was told.

"If there's any trouble, Mia, you know how to contact us?"

"Yup," Mia nodded. "Connor showed me who to use the comm-things."

"Good." As quick as he could, Roy changed to she suit, then double-checked his quiver before he strapped it on. "Ready, GA?"

"Uh-huh," Green Arrow said as he finished tying the ends of his mask.

"Let's go."

— —

For a while, the patrol was mostly silent, with Red Arrow and Green Arrow only talking when they needed to go after criminals. In the last few weeks though, they hadn't needed as much communication. With only a nod of his head, Red Arrow could tell his partner when to attack or when to stop. A shared look let both archers know they were on the same page. Another way their partnership was just easier when they had masks on. However, it was due to this heightened understanding, that Red Arrow could tell something was on Green Arrow's mind. He watched as his partner ducked under a punch, then slammed his bow into his opponent's stomach.

"Everything ok?" Red Arrow asked casually as they zip-tied the men for the cops.

"What'd you mean?" Green Arrow asked. He secured the last one, then looked at his mentor in confusion.

"You seem tense." They shot their grapple arrows at the rooftops, then zipped up to the buildings.

"I'm fine." The two archers landed on the roofs and went looking for more crime.

"You sure?" They stopped for a moment and Green Arrow looked to the side. "GA."

"…You left M- our friend alone with…her."

Red Arrow nodded. "I know."

"And…what? You trust her alone with…you know!"

"I do."

"Why?! She's an assassin, Red! An assassin! She's killed, people-"

"I've killed people."

"That's- That's different! You were…abused and manipulated." It felt wrong for him to talk about the trauma Red Arrow had suffered, but he didn't know how else to make his point. "It's different."

"Is it?" Red Arrow crossed his arms. "I know Cheshire's sister, GA."

"…She has a sister?"

"Yes. She was a hero, but she's retired now."

"Is she- Is she a friend of yours?"

"She is. We were on the Team together and before she retied we'd parol in Star together sometimes."

"And…because you're friends you know about Cheshire's past…" Green Arrow looked down again, feeling stupid. 'Of course, he knew! Roy wouldn't have let her stay with us if he didn't know her.'

"I do. I'm not going to tell you because that wouldn't be right. Cheshire's past is her own and if you want to know, then you can ask her. But I will tell you that our pasts aren't all that different."

"Is that why you're letting her stay with us?"

"She's staying with us because she's hurt and its the right thing to do."

"But would you let her stay in our home if you didn't…connect with her or whatever?"

Red Arrow gave him a small smile. "Maybe. I don't really know. I just…want to help her. It seems like she could use a friendly face. Especially when she's just been stabbed."

'Why is he like this? Me, Mia, now Jade… Why does Roy feel like he needs to take care of everyone?' Even as he wondered it though, part of Green Arrow understood why. Roy had spent years abused and neglected, it only made sense he'd become an adult who wanted to make sure the people around him were taken care of. Which was also ironic, considering the disconnect he usually felt between himself and Roy. "So you trust her?"

Red Arrow stowed his quiver on his back and put his hands on his partner's shoulders. "Listen to me, GA. I would never bring anyone into our house who I thought would hurt you guys. My first priority will always be keeping you safe. Do you understand that?"

"I do." Green Arrow logically knew that Red Arrow would never willingly put him and Mia in danger. 'Why do we have to wear the masks for this? Why is it so much easier this way?' At least it was easier someway.

"Good. Now come on, we have criminals to catch and you still have a curfew tonight."

"I got an A on my last science test. Can't we get an extended curfew?"

Red Arrow laughed and reach under Green Arrow's hood to ruffle his hair. "You're cute, but no. Let's go."

Green Arrow sighed but still smiled a little as he shot a zip-line at a building and followed his mentor. 'It's so frustrating that this is the only time that's it's easy, but I'd rather have that than nothing.'

— —

Two solid punches landed on the dummy's stomach, making Mia smile in satisfaction. "I'm kicking his ass," she told Jade, who nodded.

"Looks like it," she said, then nodded her head at the teen's feet. "Stand with your feet further apart. Good. Keep going."

Mia nodded and kept punching on the dummy. "I'm going to be a kick-ass vigilante." She stepped forward and spun on her heel to land a kick on the dummy's face. "I can feel it."

"You certainly seem enthusiastic about it."

"This is the most satisfying thing I've ever done."

"Keep your balanced centered, weight on the back foot. Why are you so into this?"

"I was a prostitute. You know…before Roy." Something in Mia's chest tightened at talking about her past like it always did.

"…You were?"

"Yeah. It's a long story, but Roy won me over and offered this…normal life. Then I found out I was HIV positive and boom! Decided to become a vigilante."

"You're HIV positive?"

"Mhm. The doctor really likes that I'm doing all this exercise too. Says it's helping my health overall."

"You're…15?"

"14."

"Jeez…" Jade watched Mia with narrowed eyes, almost analyzing her every move. "So that's why you want to be a vigilante so bad."

"Yeah…" Another kick, this time to the dummy's chest. "I never done anything worthwhile like this. I've never felt like…like I had any value like I do when I'm training." The excitement over how great it would feel to be an actual vigilante on the streets encouraged her to land two more, harder punches.

"You're life has value-"

"Says the assassin."

Jade rolled her eyes. "Being an assassin wasn't exactly my first choice for life; like I'm sure being trafficked wasn't yours."

Mia paused for a moment to give her a glare. "I wasn't trafficked."

"You're underaged."

"So?"

"So, you legally can't be a prostitute if you wanted to."

"I don't want to be trafficked either." Mia turned back to the dummy and resumed her punching and kicking.

"No one wants to be trafficked." It was silent for a moment. "What's so wrong with the way I say it?"

"Because…if I was trafficked, then I can't go back. If I was trafficked, then the only person who's ever cared about me is someone who wanted to use me. If I was trafficked then I would be so. Fucking. Stupid!"

Jade frowned and wheeled herself close enough to catch Mia's next punch by her wrist. A second later she saw the flinch and how every muscle in the girls' body tensed. She released her and Mia stepped back with an almost suspicious look. "First, I wouldn't say that the only person who cares about you is that piece of shit who trafficked a child." Mia opened her mouth angrily, but Jade kept going. "Roy obviously cares about you, so don't try to argue. Second, it doesn't make you dumb. A lot of girls who get trafficked are homeless, so I'm assuming you were out on the streets trying to get by. You aren't dumb, you're human. And that piece of shit deserves to burn in hell for taking advantage of you like that."

Mia stared at her for a few seconds. "You're very…blunt."

"Sugarcoating things isn't exactly my specialty. Ask my sister. Even when she was really young I was always brutally honest with her."

"You have a sister?"

"I do. And she'd be the first to tell you I was a sucky sister, but if I ever found out what happened to you, happened to her… The cops would be lucky to find an identifiable body part."

Mia shifted uncomfortably on her feet. "It doesn't change the fact that if I was trafficked then I can't go back. I'd be crazy to do that."

Jade smiled. "We're all a little mad here." She just got a blank stare in response. "Look, Mia, I'm not saying it'll be sunshine and roses, but living in denial won't get you anywhere. I understanding wanting an escape pod, believe me, I've taken the out like that more times than I can count, but you won't find it better than Roy. What he went through…I could barely stand Oliver Queening small doses, I can't imaging living with him."

"…The judge makes me go to therapy. Roy wants me to participate and get better."

"And you don't want to get better?"

"Well…no, but I'd have to talk about it. All of it! Every disgusting detail I should probably forget if I want any chance at surviving here and not going back. And for what? What if it doesn't work? I know therapy worked great for Roy, but what if what happened to me is worse? What if it doesn't work and I go through all that for nothing?!"

"I'm sure Roy will think of something. I can't imagine he'd make successful therapy a requirement to stay here."

"…You don't know that. Besides, on the streets and in the life, you have to be useful to stick around."

"Well, this isn't the streets or a human trafficking ring. Roy knows what it feels like to be used and taken advantage of when you're vulnerable, so he wants to help."

"How do you know so much about Roy?"

"We talk during lunch. And I'm smarter than I look."

Mia tried not to look down. "You're making me uncomfortable."

"Good, maybe you should be. Now come on, back to training. You'll never be a vigilante if you can't learn to knock a man twice your size on his ass."

With an almost smile on her face, Mia turned back to the dummy. Maybe Jade's words should've made her upset, but they didn't. Inserted she felt…grounded. Like the woman's blunt honesty burst some protective bubble she'd been trying to live in for the past few months. The almost-smile grew a little and she pulled back her arm to land a solid punch that almost knocked the dummy over.

— —

When Roy and Connor returned to the Arrow Cave from patrol, Mia was still practicing on the dummy. After Roy change out of his suit, he gave her a look. "Why are you still up?" he asked.

"Why is Connor still up?" Mia countered as she kicked the dummy so hard it almost fell back.

"Touché. Your hits are a lot harder."

"She's small, she needs to pack a punch," Jade said.

"Well, you've worked hard enough for one night, Mia. Why don't you and Connor head home? Jade and I will right behind you."

"Ok."

Almost as soon as Mia and Connor disappeared up the stairs, Roy's phone rang. He picked it up and frowned a little when he saw who it was. "What's up, BG?" he asked.

"Roy…" Barbara replied, her voice shaking. "I- I thought you should know…"

Something in her tone made Roy freeze. "What did you think I should know? BG, did something happen?"

"Yes…"

Panic gripped Roy's insides and in the next heartbeat breathing became a difficult, voluntary action. Tremors started shaking his hands and legs as a distant, quiet whining sound reached his ears. "Is it-" He swallowed. "…BG… 'Wing?"

"No! No, Dick is fine. A little de-moralized, but…physically fine."

Some of the panic leased and Roy's chest loosened enough for him to take a deep breath. "Then what happened?" There was silence from Barbara. "BG."

"Tula's dead."

Roy stumbled and just barely used his free hand to catch himself. His arm shot with the weight up keeping his body off the floor. "What…she- How?!"

"Mission…no choice… Look, it's been a long day, Roy. I'll tell you everything another time, but I'd really like to just…crawl into bed and avoid another human being for at least 48 hours."

"What about- Did anyone tell Kal?"

"Dick's taking care of it. He knows how to contact him."

"Ok. Thanks, BG."

"Of course. I know she was your friend. I'm crawling into a hole now. Night, Roy."

"Night." Roy hung up and slowly lowered himself to the ground. Numbness filled his body limb by limb unit he could only stare at the floor despondently. 'Tula's dead… She's- Oh my God…' Tears filled his eyes and he bit his lip to prevent himself from sobbing.

"Roy?" Jade asked quietly, slowly wheeling herself over to him. "Are you ok?" Roy shook his head silently. "I'm just guessing…you got some bad news on that phone call?" He nodded. "Who died?"

Roy flinched. "…Aquagirl…"

"Oh… Were you…close?"

"Yeah, we… Aqualad and I would go on double-dates with her and Tempest. It was fun… They wanted to go to a sports game… Guess we never got around to it-" He stopped suddenly, then just cried silently.

"Well…for what its worth, I'm sorry."

"Thanks…" The two stayed there silently until Roy had cried so many tears that he was both grieving and exhausted. He eventually sighed and wiped at his tear-stained cheeks. "We- We should go home. You need to sleep."

"So do you, tough guy."

Roy texted Kaldur before they slowly made their way upstairs and back to the apartment. It had been weeks since they'd spoke, not since Kaldur had shared the revelation about his father, but Roy wanted nothing more than to comfort his boyfriend during this difficult time.

Roy: Hey Kal… Barbara told me and… You know if you need me, I'm here. I'm always here. I'll leave the window unlocked if you need me. Don't worry if I'm sleeping. I'm always here for you. I love you.

— —

When they got home, Roy made sure Jade was comfortable on the couch before slowly shuffling his way into his own bedroom. As he walked away, Jade almost reach out for him but pulled back at the last second. 'One of his hero friends just died,' she thought as she watched him leave. 'He's not going to want comfort from a villain.' And given that it was one of Roy's hero friends, she was shocked at how much she felt for his loss. 'Damn stab wounds are making me soft…' She rolled over and closed her eyes. Because that's all there was between her and Roy. Just the stab wounds.

Meanwhile, Roy got ready for bed, then checked his phone. Kaldur hadn't texted him back yet. 'He's probably just…thinking or getting some space,' he thought as he walked over to his bedroom window. 'But he'll come when he needs me. He will. I love him and he knows that.' Roy unlocked the window and went to bed. 'Kaldur knows I love him.'

Kaldur didn't come that night.

Or the night after that.

Or the night after that.

Or the night after that.


	21. (Un)Happy Ending

A/N: So um...yeah. I'm sorry.

[November 2014]

It was late when Roy got the text. He was finishing up some cases files, having sent Connor and Mia home with Jade so they could sleep. Jade had protested being sent home like a teenager but had relented when Roy pointed out the alternative was to watch him write reports. 'I need to do maintenance on the trick arrows, too,' he thought as he typed out the drug bust he and Connor had helped Detective Rodgerson with. 'And work on some new designs. Once we have Mia on the streets with us, I'll be able to put some more…diverse and complicated trick arrows to work. I'll need to train Mia and Connor to use them properly, but once they have it, they'll be working as a team no problem.' Half his attention was on the report and half was on his trick arrow designs when his phone went off. At first, he ignored it, thinking it was one of the kids asking where he was. A few minutes later it went off again, so he checked it. His stomach simultaneously dropped and fluttered.

It was Kaldur.

There was a long moment, so long it made his stomach curl in guilt, where Roy hesitated. He hadn't heard from Kaldur at all since their conversation about his father being Black Manta. Even if the aftermath of Tula's death two months before, his boyfriend never came to see him and never reached out for comfort. He'd even been absent at the small memorial the Team had held for their fallen friend. Dick had been there and, surprisingly, had been texting Roy once every couple of weeks to say hello. Whatever had caused the change in his brother, Roy didn't know, but with Bruce still as distant as ever, it was a welcome change. But even the slow rebuilding of his relationship with Dick couldn't completely heal the emotional wounds Roy felt over Kaldurs' silence.

It was bad enough when Roy's birthday had passed without so much as a message from Kaldur before Tula's death, but the worst had been their anniversary on Halloween. Mia had convinced Connor and Roy to stay home so they could watch movies together. While his small family and Jade had been enjoying themselves, Roy spent the whole night glancing at his phone, comm in one ear, waiting for his boyfriend to contact him.

But he didn't.

Now past Thanksgiving, Roy had settled into a kind of reluctant trance, believing that wherever he was, whatever he was doing, Kaldur would come back to him eventually. And here he was, texting Roy every minute to get his attention like he had so frequently in the first year they dated.

Roy took a deep breath and looked at the texts.

Kaldur: Roy, I need to see you. Come to the pier where we fought Manta.

Kaldur: This is important, I really need to talk to you

Kaldur: Roy, please.

Thankful he was still in his suit, Roy stood almost without thinking and put his mask on. He made sure his comm was in and working so one of the kids could connect him if needed. All his weapons stayed behind. It was juts Kaldur after all, it wasn't like he'd need them. Just before he got on his bike, he sent a reply text, then got on and drove out of the Cave.

Roy: I'm on my way

— —

The pier was silent and deserted when Roy arrived. He got off cautiously and instinctually did a visual sweep of the area. There appeared to be no immediate threats. So, he walked to the pier. When he got there, Kaldur was there, stating at the far end. His back was to Roy as he stared out at the water, hands folded behind himself. Despite the juxtaposing emotions swirling inside him, Roy almost smiled as he walked closer.

"Kaldur," he said when he was a could feet away.

Kaldur turned, but he didn't smile. His face was impassive, set. Like he was on a mission and had to keep his focus on it. Even his body language remained rigid and almost informal; a far cry from how relaxed he usually was when they were together. "Roy," he said greeting, his voice tight with an unidentifiable emotion.

"What's up? I haven't seen you in forever and I haven't heard from you… Is everything ok, because after Tula and-" Roy reached out for him, but Kaldur flinched at the mention of Tula's name and stepped back. "Kal, what's going on?"

"This- This is not easy for me to say."

"What isn't? Are you retiring? Because if you are, I completely understand, Kal and I still love-"

"Shut up."

Roy stopped cold, his hand half stretched toward his boyfriend. "W- What? Kal-"

"I said shut up!" Kaldur put his hands on his face for a moment, like he needed to center himself. When he dropped them, his expression had gone from impassive to cold and calculating. He put his hands behind his back again and Roy resisted the urge to cower under his gaze. "Roy… It's over."

"W-What do you mean? What's over?" A familiar anxiety began creeping up Roy's brain. He could feel the hesitation behind the question words, his muscles slowly tensing with every word spoken.

"We are."

Cold denial washed over Roy in an instant and he shook his head. "We- What do you mean we are?"

Kaldur scowled at him, making Roy take an unconscious, half-step back. "Do I really need to spell it out for you?"

"No…" Roy's head shook as tremors began rocking his hands. "No, Kal. Why- Did I do something wrong, because if I did, I'm sorry-"

"You have done nothing. It- It is not you. Not really."

"Then what is it then?!"

"…I have decided to join my father."

Shock rose Roy in his spot and pulled his mouth open a little. He stared at Kaldur for a long moment without saying anything. Somehow, he didn't think Kaldur was talking about Calvin Durham. "You-You're joining…Black Manta."

"Yes."

It was like having the wind knocked out of him and suddenly some of his shock was replaced with anger. Roy's hands balled into trembling fists. "Why?! Why would you join him- He's a murder, a terrorist! You've said so yourself! He's threatened your life, your friends, Aquaman-"

"The king is why I am doing this!" Kaldur's voice was venomous with anger. "What has he done for me in the end except lie and let my friend die?! Where are the heroes when I need them?! Where has all my loyalty gotten me?! Nothing but betrayal and grief. It is a hard lesson Roy, but I have learned in the end, the only one I can trust is myself."

"You can trust me, Kal! I'm here, I'll help you, but please, please, don't do this!"

"I have already made up my mind. Do not try to stop me."

"No! I won't let you go through with this! You're a hero! A kind and generous person, one of the best I know! I've seen where this path you're creating leads, Kal, and its' nowhere good. I won't let you become a monster because I love you!"

"Then that is a shame because I do not love you."

Roy stumbled back like he'd been hit. "No, you- You don't mean that."

"When have you ever known me to be insincere?"

"You- You can't mean it! You don't just go away for two months and stop loving someone you've loved for 4 years!"

"How do you know?"

"Because- Because-" Because he didn't want it to be true. With every fiber of his being, Roy didn't want to imagine life without Kaldur there. He didn't want to imagine a world where they were on opposite sides. It was so unbearable to think about. "Kaldur… Kal…please…"

"You are making this harder than it has to be. I have said my piece. I do not love you, Roy. Go home and forget about me. Forget it all, as will I."

Roy shook his head, desperation leaking into his movements and voice. "No, No, I won't! I- I can't."

"Roy! Stop, please!" For a second, it sounded like there was a note in desperation in Kaldur's voice, but his face remind so cold and angry Roy was convinced he'd imagined it.

"No! I'm not just standing by and letting this happen! You know I love you, Kal! Just let me help… Please…" Roy reached out to put his hand on Kaldur, but Kal grabbed his wrist. Dread clutched Roy's chest at how tight the grip was. "K-Kal-"

"I said…stop." Without warning, Kaldur used his superhuman strength to twist Roy's arm behind his back. Roy gritted his teeth as pain shot down the twisted limb and his heart began hammering against his ribs. His breath started coming in short gasps as Kaldur twisted his arm ever more up his back. Terror flooded Roy's brain and he clung to clarity by his fingertips. Before he could demand Kaldur let him go (or meekly beg to be released as his brain favored currently) pain zapped through his entire body. Roy yelled in pain as electricity assaulted his whole body, making his muscles seize. It felt like it lasted forever, but when it finally ended, there were a few seconds when his muscles were stunned from the electrical charge. Before Roy could think, he was in the water. It engulfed and choked him, sending panic coursing through his veins.

When his muscles could move, Roy didn't hesitate. He swam to the surface and gulped mouthfuls of air. Heart pounding and breathing erratic, Roy could barely think. Everything was becoming too much, but he resisted. He couldn't lose it here in the harbor. So, Roy forced himself to swim against the water and the stillness of his limbs. He made it back to the pier and managed to pull himself up with great difficulty. When he was out of the water, he flopped onto his back, panting and out of breath. He took a couple of deep breaths and pushed himself into a sitting position so he could look around.

Kaldur was gone.

That didn't really bother Roy though if anything he was relieved. Quivering from head to toe, he thew himself to his feet and ran from the pier. It was thankfully still empty, it would've been embarrassing for anyone to see a vigilante soaking wet and shaking like a half-drowned kitten. He made it to his bike and got on, trying to keep his hands steady. It probably wasn't going to happen, so he clenched the handlebars with everything he had to keep them from shaking and went straight back to the Arrow Cave.

— —

As soon as Roy got back to his cave, he nearly jumped off his bike. His hands shook so much that pulling off his mask was an incredibly difficult task. Once he had it off though, like a switch being flipped, he lost it.

Panic consumed his mind and he dropped to knees hyperventilating. The feeling of hands grabbing his wrists tightened around him, amplifying the pain in his right arm. His breathing got so erratic that he felt like he was suffocating. The cold floor was suddenly pressed against his face and Roy's was…distantly aware it was because his arms had given out. He didn't care though. The panic kept him frozen on the floor as he shook and hyperventilated, trying to forget the hands the gripped his wrists. His chest hurt so bad and it was impossible to tell if it was from how hard his heart was pumping, or the lack of oxygen.

Somewhere in the back of Roy's mind, he knew he needed to use a ground technique. Except his brain was in full-on panic mode, so he couldn't remember any. The only thing he could think about was the hands forcefully gripping his wrists and the terror that filled his every cell. All Roy could do was wait until the panic attack eventually ended. The terror slowly filtered out and Roy was able to gain some control over his breathing. He took very slow, deep breaths, forcing air in and out of his lungs for…he didn't know how long. Long enough that he eventually got his heart rate under control and he could sit up.

Roy pulled his knees to his chest and clutched his pants as tightly as he could. 'It's ok… It's ok…. It's ok…' He took another deep breath. "My name is Roy Harper. Today is…. November 25. I'm in the- the Arrow Cave. I'm s-safe because I'm alone. My- My name is Roy Harper…" He kept doing this until the last of his panic faded away and he could breathe easily. The tremors were still present, but small enough that it wasn't really a bother. The terror was gone, but it had been replaced with numbness. Roy felt disconnected from his surroundings. He rocked back and forth until the jitteriness under his skin settled down.

"A-Assess," he whispered. "I- I need to asses." What happened? "K-Kal- He- He grabbed-" Roy had to stop to take deep breaths for a minute because his heart started pounding again. "He hurt me and…broke up with me…" Just saying the words sent a pang of hurt through his chest. He shook his head and swallowed. "Kal's…he's going to be a villain. He'll fight against us… He'll kill people…" The words felt unreal on his tongue. He didn't want them tone true. He wanted this to be a bad dream he could wake-up from. "Kal… Kal is gone. He triggered me and left me." A shiver went through his whole body. Part of him wanted to deny it; that Kaldur would never purposefully trigger his PTSD like that. But then again, Kal as one of the few people who understood his mental illness inside and out. He knew what could trigger a panic attack for Roy and he'd done a couple of those things in a row. After breaking up with Roy and choosing a path of darkness. It made Roy sick to his stomach and tears sprang to his eyes.

Roy started to wipe them away but quickly gave up. It was just too much energy and he felt hollowed out. It was nothing and too much all at the same time. Something in him felt like he should tell someone what had just transpired. Dick. Bruce. The League. But he couldn't find it in him to move. So he curled up even more and sobbed into his knees. Only when the dampness of his suit started to become too uncomfortable did he move. Roy changed out of his suit and left it to dry, hoping it'd be done by the time he went on patrol again. Still feeling hollowed and numb, he slowly made his way up the stairs.

Due to his numbness, Roy didn't have any memory of walking back to his building. Or into the apartment. Next thing he knew he was in his bedroom, staring at his bed. His mind replayed the last time Kaldur stayed over, back in August, and tears formed in his eyes again. Sniffing, Roy got undressed but didn't have the energy for pajamas, so he got under the covers in his underwear. It was just after 3 am, so he couldn't see anything in the darkened room. But the fact that a few feet from him, his bookcase with shots of him and Kaldur were in the dark, taunting him. Roy rolled over and hugged a pillow to his body. He buried his face in the pillow, desperately wishing the smell of salt-water and seaweed might have lingered in the fabric. Sleep eluded Roy as he cried into his pillows until he passed out from exhaustion.

Sleep wasn't much of a reprieve though, because, for the first time in possibly years when Roy closed his eyes, he found himself trapped in a night terror.


	22. Broken-Hearted

A/N: Here's the next chapter! Leave a reveiw and let me know what you think.

When Mia got up in the morning, she wandered out of hers and Connor's bedroom to find the latter eating fruit in the kitchen while Jade ate some eggs. "Where's Roy?" she asked.

"Sleeping is my guess," Connor replied. "I haven't seen him all morning."

"I heard him come in last night and it was really late," Jade told them. "Just let him sleep."

Mia shrugged, then stole a few pieces of fruit from Connor as she made her way to the fridge to grab some for herself. 'If Roy was up that late it must've been more like early morning,' she thought. 'He'll probably be up in a few hours.'

A few hours later, Roy still wasn't up. The morning passed peacefully with Connor reading in their bedroom while Mia did homework. They expected to see him at lunch, but he was sleeping.

"Do you think we should check on Roy?" Mia asked as she and Connor finished their lunch. It was almost 1:30 and they still hadn't seen or heard their guardian.

"…Maybe," Connor agreed slowly. "I know Jade said he got home late, but…it's not like him to sleep in like this." Worry that Roy had been seriously injured or was sick plagued the back of Connor's mind as he quickly shoved the last few pieces of sandwich into his mouth.

When they finished eating, Mia and Connor went to Roy's bedroom. As they passed the couch, Jade followed them with her eyes. Mia knocked on Roy's door. "You alive in there?" No answer. The teens looked at each other before Connor tried.

"We just…wanted to check on you."

"Didn't I tell you guys to let him sleep?" Jade asked. She leaned against the doorway to the hall, arms crossed over her chest.

"We're worried about him."

"So? He's probably not dead."

Mia shrugged. "You're not the boss of us," she said as she opened the door.

Jade rolled her eyes as the two teenagers disappeared into Roy's bedroom. 'Stupid…kids,' she thought irritably. Nevertheless, she found herself drifting closer to the open door.

"Hey, Roy?" Connor said as they approached his bed. The lump under the blankets was definitely Roy and when he got closer, Connor could see the man was staring at the wall. "Everything ok?"

"Cause you're kind of freaking us out here…" Mia knelt on the bed by Roy's feet. "Roy?"

Roy took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. "I'm fine guys…" he said quietly, voice hoarse.

"You sure?" Connor asked. "You look really tired."

"Which is really weird because you've been sleeping like…all day," Mia added.

"Everything's fine…" Roy told them. He moved to adjust his blanket and Connor gasped quietly when he saw Roy's wrist.

"What the heck?!" he asked.

Mia's eyes widened. "Roy, what the hell happened?!" she demanded. Roy's wrist had dark purple, almost black, bruises wrapped around his wrist.

Connor moved forward and grabbed Roy's wrist gently. As soon as his fingers closed though, Roy reacted. His eyes widened and he jerked free. Connor's grip was broken easily, but Roy had to push himself against the headboard and closed his eyes. His heart pounded against his ribs as his brain kept putting wrist grabbing and green eyes together.

'It's not Ollie,' he thought stubbornly, taking a slow deep breath and trying to hide his wrist behind his legs. 'It's not Oliver…It's not… Calm down…' The fact that his brain was associating Connor and Oliver to the point that he'd almost had an anxiety attack made him feel guilty. Roy took several more deep breaths before he left his head again. Connor and Mia were giving him equal looks of concern and Jade stood in the doorway watching him carefully. "I'm- I'm fine, guys. R-Really…"

"Yeah…no," Mia said. Roy was pale and looked exhausted and wired, all at the same time. Seeing him curled against the headboard of his bed with his legs pulled up to his chest like a child…it made her stomach churn. She knew Roy had PTSD, of course she knew, it was basically part of the orientation…but she'd never seen him so upset like this. "You're not fine. What's wrong?"

"We're you're…partners," Connor said, choosing his words carefully. "Come on, Roy."

'Maybe I should tell them,' Roy thought as he pulled the blankets up over his body. It wasn't like they'd stop asking. He sighed. "Last night… I got a text from Kal… He wanted me to meet him at the pier where Connor and I fought Black Manta. I did and-" Pain stabbed at his chest and Roy grit his teeth to keep his eyes from tearing up. He inhaled through his nose. "Kaldur broke up with me."

"Ouch," Mia winced. "Rough. Did he say why?"

Roy closed his eyes and nodded. "He- Kaldur's joining Black Manta."

"He's becoming a villain?!" Connor gasped. When Roy nodded, he shook his head.

"Why?" Jade asked, clearly confused. The other three looked at her like they'd forgotten she was there, but she ignored them. "Why would he suddenly decide to change sides? That doesn't make any sense."

Roy shrugged. "He said he was angry about Aquagirl's death and Aquaman lying to him about Black Manta being his father-" Roy stopped suddenly when he realized what he'd said, but it was too late. Hot guilt filled him as everyone else digested the newest bit of information.

"Kaldur'ahm's father is Black Manta?!"

"Whoa…" Mia gasped quietly. "Guess it's always the guy you least suspect, right, Connor?" No response. "Connor?"

Connor clenched his fists in his lap, trying to focus and breathe. His heart pounded in his ears, making it difficult to hear. 'K-Kaldur… Aqualad, the guy who led Roy's team…he has an evil dad? And he- he became a villain, even after years of being a hero?!' Panic gripped his muscles and Connor wanted to scream. He wanted to shout and cry because it wasn't fair! He was clearly doomed and it wasn't fair! Then Mia shoved him off the bed and knocked him out of his head. He gave her a half-glare as he got back on the bed. "That's…too bad," he said quietly.

"Forget about him," Mia added. "He's betrayed you and your friends. You deserve better. Right, Connor?"

Connor nodded. "Absolutely."

Their reassurances made Roy want to smile. Part of him wanted to push aside the heartache and stress so he could move on; but another, more dominant part, of his brain was drowning in his emotions. The heartache of Kaldur breaking up with him. The grief that his boyfriend- ex, was choosing such a dark path. Stress from the panic attack the night before and the ensuing nightmares that had kept him from a good night's sleep. The chaotic bundle of emotions made Roy want to bury himself in blankets and never come out. 'But I can't do that,' he reminded himself sharply. 'I have to take care of Connor and Mia. I'm an adult. I have responsibilities.' Responsibilities or not, there was some kind of disconnect between his brain and his muscles keeping him from getting up.

Thankfully, Connor and Mia seemed to understand, even without Roy saying anything. Mia crawled up and grabbed Roy's hand. He flinched and jerked it roughly from her grasp, but Mia barely blinked. "Why don't we watch a movie?" she suggested. "Can't think of a better way to end Thanksgiving break than a long movie night. Hm? Connor?"

"Definitely," Connor agreed. "We can watch anything you want."

"I- I don't know guys," Roy said quietly. Something inside him was longing to be alone. To retreat to his old habits of comfort. Alone meant safety.

"Well, you could stay in here alone," Jade began slowly (once again the other three looked at her like they'd forgotten she was there), "but I just finished the last one of those wizard books. So, I'm planning on holding you to your promise of showing me those movies."

"…Really?"

"Yes, and I personally don't care if you're having a mental breakdown or not while we're doing it, but I'm holding you to your word, Hero."

Connor opened his mouth to object to the way Jade was talking to Roy, but the man nodded before he could say anything.

"Ok," Roy said. "Guess we should watch some movies then. Why don't you guys go get it set up and I'll be out in a few minutes."

"Can we have popcorn?" Mia asked.

"Sure." Just the thought of food made his stomach churn, but that didn't mean the kids couldn't have some if they wanted.

"Sweet! Come on, Connor!"

Connor followed Mia out of the room, not missing the way Roy's eyes seemed to avoid him. Hurt stabbed at his chest and he hurried out of the bedroom.

Once he was alone, Roy got out of bed and put some sweatpants and a t-shirt on. He grabbed his phone as he left. Telling Dick crossed his mind briefly, but he quickly banished the idea. He and his brother may have been talking again, but everything was still too fresh in his mind to talk about it. Just talking to Connor, Mia, and Jade had left him emotionally worn out. So he shoved his phone into his pocket and snagged his Navajo blanket on the way out. When he walked into the living room. the smell of buttery popcorn wafted from the kitchen and the gentle popping sounds carried with it. Still not hungry though, Roy went tot he couch and curled up on one end, wrapping his blanket around his shoulders.

"Nice blanket," Jade commented from the other end of the couch.

"It's Navajo."

"Didn't know you were Native American."

"I'm not, but I grew up on the reservation. Before…"

"Huh." The conversation dropped after that, but Mia and Connor came in less than a minute later.

"I've got the snacks," Mia said. "Connor put the movie in."

"You're not the boss of me," Connor muttered but still did as she said. He found the movie on the shelf and popped it into the DVD player before sitting on the floor. Mia was on the couch between Jade and Roy, and there was definitely room for him if he'd ask her to move, but that would mean either 1) sitting next to Jade, who still made him nervous despite having lived with them for two months, or 2) sitting next to Roy who seemed intent on looking anywhere that wasn't at him. So, Connor sat on the floor in a cross-legged position. 'Sitting on the floor isn't so bad anyway.'

"Let's start the nerd movie!"

"I resent that," Jade told her.

"You're the one who read the books, nerd."

Jade smirked at the teen as she snatched a few pieces of popcorn from the bowl.

— —

Watching the movie did take Roy's mind off Kaldur for brief amounts of time. Every so often though, his brain would wander from what he was watching and launch itself down the rabbit hole of anxiety. What was Kaldur doing right now? Was he with Black Manta? Planning an attack on the League? On Atlantis, against the people who he'd protected as Aqualad? Has he killed anyone yet—

"Roy?!" Mia asked, her voice laced with concern.

Roy blinked and realized he was shaking and on the verge of hyperventilating. He closed his eyes for a moment, then started counting as he breathed. While he did this, a hand settled on his arm and he jerked back. "S-Stop!" he said. "Don't- Don't touch me!"

"Ok, ok… Sorry…."

Jade frowned as she watched Roy. When she realized he was breathing very slowly and deliberately, she started counting how long it took him to inhale, hold his breath, then exhale. It only took a few times to figure out he was using some kind of breathing regimen. "Don't stare," she said sternly to Connor and Mia, who were both watching Roy. "Geez, you'd think no one taught you kids basic manners. Go back to the movie."

"But, Roy-"

"Is fine. He's got it under control. Go back to watching the movie."

Connor turned away and looked back at the tv. He could feel Mia's confusion and hesitation but didn't know what else they could do. 'It's not like I'm going to help anyway,' he thought as he watched the movie. 'Roy can barely stand me sometimes when he's not on the verge of a panic attack. While he's this upset though? Forget it.'

They slipped back into silence with only the movie and Roy's breathing making any sounds. Jade kept stealing glances at Roy, watching his breathing as it evened out and he eventually opened his eyes. 'Good,' she thought as she turned her attention back to the movie. 'We probably don't need him having a panic attack.'

When the movie ended, Connor put the next one in without needing to be prompted. Later afternoon became night with the four of them watching the movies silently. They made it through the 4th one before Roy glanced at the clock and grimaced. "You guys need to go to bed," he told Connor and Mia. "I didn't even feed you-"

"What'd you mean?" Mia asked as she stood and stretched. "We had a whole bowl of popcorn."

"That's not food-"

"Is too! Don't be so lame."

"Just…go to bed."

"Come on, Connor. Night, Roy. Jade."

"Night, Roy," Connor said as he passed.

"Night, guys," Roy said as they left. He stood, the blanket still wrapped around his shoulders, but only looked toward his room. The thought of nightmares, of hands grabbing him and hurting him, feeling helpless as his arm was twisted behind his back, and cruel voices hissed in his ear-

"Roy!" Jade said. When Roy's head snapped toward her she gave him a small smirk. "Going to bed sometime tonight?"

"I… Uh…" Brain stalled, Roy opened his mouth despite no words coming out. "I…"

After a few seconds, Jade's smirk disappeared. "You don't want to sleep, do you?"

"Well…"

"Forget it. It's fine. We're not impressionable teenagers, we can stay up as late as we want. Let's put the next movie in."

"I- I can go to my room-"

"It's fine, Roy. Assassins don't always have the luxury of a normal sleep schedule." Jade went over to the shelf to grab the next movie, so Roy resumed his spot on the couch.

"…Thanks. For this."

"It's nothing."

Despite knowing, deep down. that avoiding sleep because of nightmares would only make managing his mental health harder to handle and was firmly in the 'unhealthy coping mechanisms' category. But he also didn't care. Kaldur broke up with him and one of the people Roy loved most was soon to be a murderer for sure. It didn't really feel like anything mattered at the moment. Eating and sleeping were distant thoughts compared to everything else. So, he stayed up late with Jade, watching the rest of the movies silently, not really comprehending anything.

When the movies were over, it was a little past midnight and Jade looked at Roy. "Feeling like sleeping?"

"…Not particularly…"

"Cool." Jade shifted so she was facing Roy. "So…he kicked you to the curb, huh?"

Roy almost choked. "Really? You're starting with that?"

"Sorry, I can be…"

"Blunt? I've noticed. Artemis is the same way. Sibling thing apparently."

"So I can assume you and Nightwing are emotionally closed off like Batman? Hm?"

"I don't know if I'm…emotionally closed off…"

"But Nightwing is? It's fine you don't have to answer. I mean…he's your adoptive brother, but you've talked to him…twice in the past year?"

"18 months, but that's not the point."

"What happened between the two of you?" Jade wrapped her arms around her legs as she pulled them against her chest. "I mean, if you're brother,s why did he ghost you for over a year?"

"I don't know if it's ghosting, but… It's complicated."

"Apparently we've got nothing but time so…" When she didn't get a response, Jade went with another tactic. "How about an exchange? Tell me what happened between you and your brother, and I'll tell you a story about Artemis from when we were kids."

Roy almost smiled at that, but he just ended up sighing when he thought back over the last year and a half. "After Robin died— the second Robin— we had a big falling out. Batman told all of us in the Bat Cave what had happened and…Nightwing got angry. He blamed me for Robins' death."

"You?! Why?!"

"Because I was in the country. Nightwing and Batgirl were with the Team on a mission when it…happened. I was here in Star because I'd already stepped down. But…I didn't know. Batman never tried to contact me for help finding Robin, he never even told me he was missing. I didn't know anything had happened until that night in the Cave."

"Wow… What a jerk."

"He was…upset."

"Still. You heroes are supposed to be a big happy family, aren't you?"

That got an amused snort from Roy. "I guess… It hasn't really felt like that lately though…"

"Well, you've got your two ankle-biters in the other room."

"That's…different. I don't even know what my relationship is with them." Roy shrugged, allowing his blanket to fall off his shoulders a little bit. "Your turn."

"Ok… Once, when she was…2? No, 3. When Artemis was 3, I convinced her that the stupid Charlie Brown pumpkin movie was a true story. So she spent the entirety go Halloween night waiting to see the Great Pumpkin."

The corners of Roy's mouth twitched. "Ok, that's mean and also kind of adorable."

"Hey, I never said I was a good sister. Better than the time she was 2 and I told her she would get sucked down the drain in the bathtub."

Roy's mouth twitched a little more. "You're horrible."

Jade flashed him a smile. "The worst. So, your turn again. Got any good stories about Nightwing?"

"…hm…" Roy thought for a moment, nodded slowly. "Yeah. How about the time he was fighting a bunch of Riddler's goons and slipped on some ice."

"He slipped?"

"Mhm. Fell right on his face and gave himself a black eye."

Jade snickered. "He's a vigilante who got a black eye during a fight…but he didn't get it from the bad guys?"

"Nope."

"Nice. Has Artemis ever told you the story of how she lost her first tooth?" When Roy shook his head Jade smiled. "I knocked it out."

"…You knocked out her tooth?!"

"On accident. We were playing hide and seek-"

And so they went on through the night, exchange stories about the respective younger siblings. A few times Jade almost managed to make Roy smile, but never quite got there. Eventually, Roy glanced out the window and noticed the sun was coming up. "I should…make breakfast. Connor's no doubt up and meditating, which means Mia will be up soon." He yawned and Jade gave him a look.

"Don't think you'll be a very effective private detective when you're so tired."

"Maybe I won't go into work today. I can just…stay here." Besides, just the thought of going out into the city terrified him. His nerves jangled up like he was being watched.

Jade shrugged. "It's your life."

"Thanks." Roy stood and grabbed his blanket, which he'd let fall on the floor at some point, so he could put it in his bedroom before he started on breakfast. "You going to sleep?"

"I'll probably nap while the kids are at school."

"Fair enough." Roy started to walk away, but stopped and looked back at Jade form the doorway that led to the hall. "Thanks… For…you know…"

"Anytime, hero."

'Anytime,' Roy mused as he went to his room. 'She's acting like we're friends or something.' Which was crazy. Because Roy was a hero and Jade was a villain. They were completely different people in so many ways. There was no way they could ever be friends. No matter how nice the idea seemed. 'She'll take off as soon as she's fully healed. Just watch. This will all be a distant memory. A nice story she tells her assassin friends.' Because Roy and Jade weren't friends. No. Definitely not.


	23. Downward Spiral

A/N: Things are still...happening to Roy. Enjoy and leave a review to let me know what you think.

Roy stayed home from work for a few days before eventually having to go back. True, he didn't technically need to. The "trust fund" account Bruce had set up for him was always full of money so it wasn't like he needed to work to pay rent or buy food. It wasn't the financial constraints pushing him to go back as much as his own stubborn pride. As small and unassuming as his business was, it was still his. Roy had always felt a deep sense of satisfaction from the moment he'd first opened his doors. It was nice to having something that was completely his. No ties to Oliver and no way for anyone else to control him with it. It was all Roy. However, wanting to go back to work wasn't enough to assuage his increased anxiety by itself. But he still went. A full week after the 'Incident' as he and Jade had begun calling it, he put his case files away— his way of dealing with not wanting to go back to sleep— as he did every morning and started his checklist.

The list was the real reason he was able to get anything done. At 7 he had to get dressed. A 7:15 he cooked breakfast. At 7:45 he either offered to bring Mia and Connor to school or gave them lunch money and sent them on their way. Then he had to walk to his office. Walking to the office used to be an enjoyable part of the day. Even in early December, the mild California weather wasn't so bad with a jacket. Now though, Roy's brain (running on approximately 3 hours of sleep) sent constant, low-level danger signals every time someone bumped him or happened to catch his eye. Every flash of blonde hair in the crowd sent his heart pounding against his ribs. So he kept his head down until he got to his office.

Work was harder than it had been before, between Roy constantly upping his caffeine in-take and feeling jittery about talking to new clients. Going into the city to track down potential witnesses or looking for evidence brought the anxiety of being in the open and meeting new people. In more than one instance, someone grabbed his wrist or forearm, usually in anger or desperation. One particularly angry teen (runaway who hadn't wanted to leave her boyfriend) left welts on his arms from scratching him. In every instance, Roy's grounding techniques allowed him just enough time to find a corner or alley to hide in before a panic attack hit him. Shaking and hyperventilating in a dirty alley wasn't fun (especially not after being attacked by an angry teen made him vomit too) but when it was over he pulled his coat tighter and went on with his day.

Before he went home, he'd get more coffee, because patrol was even longer when running on a few hours of night terror-filled sleep. Getting home involved making dinner, making sure Mia and Connor did their homework, then going to the Arrow Cave. Roy wasn't the only one slowly dying from stress though.

Despite it starting with the small stuff, Connor slowly began to realize that Roy very much didn't want him there. At least…that's what it felt like. He recognized it in every time Roy looked at him, then his eyes glanced away quickly. Like he couldn't stand looking at Connor. It happened a couple times with Mia (probably because she was also blonde) but not nearly as much as it was with him. He tried not to let the hurt show on his face and took to leaving any room Roy was in as fast as possible. It didn't help that he and Mia could definitely hear Roy yelling and/or crying every night through their shared wall. It woke them up a few times, but they went back to sleep almost immediately. The first night Mia had tried to get Connor to go with her to check on Roy, but Connor had refused, knowing Roy wouldn't calm down if he was there. When she came back, dejected and mumbling about Roy's door being locked, he hadn't been surprised. It was like living in some weird twilight zone. A place where nothing made sense and everything was overwhelming.

The tension between him and Roy did have one surprising side-effect though…it made Connor look forward to school. A week and a half after Roy and Kaldur had broken up, he practically ran out the door with Mia in tow.

"You're in a hurry today," she noted as they walked. The dark blue jackets with the school's crest on them protected the teens from the wind as they walked. "Finally ask Alyssa out?"

"What- No!" Heat crept up Connor's cheeks and he purposefully looked away.

"Still too scared?"

"Can you…stop? Please? Alyssa's just a girl I have a class with. We're not even friends."

"But you want to be-"

"No, I don't! I don't want to be friends with Alyssa because I don't want friends! I don't need any!"

Mia frowned at him. "Why?"

'…She's not going to understand.' Connor sighed and turned his head away from her, determined not to say anything else for the rest of the walk. 'It's not really Mia's fault. She doesn't have an evil dad. She's not biologically connected to an infamous villain. And- And she has Roy. He actually likes Mia and isn't just tolerating her.' No, Mia would never have to worry about being related to a horrible villain or watching as her relationship with the only adult in her life slowly degraded. She was just lucky like that. They lapsed into a tense and awkward silence for the rest of the walk. As soon as they got the middle schoolyard, Mia split off from him without so much as a good-bye. Connor sighed and sat down with his back against the wall. 'Roy's slowly losing his tolerance for me and now I've pushed Mia away too. Cool.' He closed his eyes and leaned his head against the wall. It was times like these that he really wished he could talk to his mom.

A basketball hit his legs, jerking Connor out of his pity and grief-filled stupor. He grabbed the ball and held it out to the boy who'd followed it over.

"Thanks, dude," the boy said.

"Uh… yeah…" For a few seconds, Connor couldn't take his eyes off the other teen; momentarily captivated by his dark brown eyes. Unfortunately, this freaked the other teen out as he visibly seemed to curl in disgust and walked away muttering. Words like 'freak' and others made Connor flinch and bite his lip. 'Why is everything so…hard?' he wondered. 'Roy… School… Life in general?' It felt like no matter what he did. the universe was intent on just making his life as difficult as possible. 'Who did I kill in a past life?' He snorted, knowing the adage didn't accurately describe his beliefs in the cycle of rebirth but still felt accurate nonetheless. 'If only I could be back at Arsham with Master Jensen. He would probably have some good advice for me.' The bell rang and he sighed deeply before slowly standing and grabbing his backpack. 'Guess I should get this over with.'

— —

School passed as slowly as painfully possible. By the time Connor met Mia at the school gate, he was more than ready to go home (not that it was a much better place). The latter spent their walk home telling Connor everything that had happened that day, apparently over their disagreement from the morning, and he simply nodded his head in response. When they got home, Roy wasn't there, so he went straight to their bedroom to do his homework.

"What's his problem been?" Jade asked Mia as they watched Connor disappears into the bedroom.

"I don't know," Mia shrugged as she dropped her bag by the couch and flung herself down. "He's been acting weird all week. Him and Roy."

"Roy at least has an excuse."

"And Connor doesn't?"

Jade met Mia's sarcastic look with an even one of her own. "Does he?"

"…You're good. I don't know though. He doesn't want to talk about it and bites my head off when I try to ask about it."

'And I'm sure that has nothing to do with the way you're asking,' Jade thought as she went back to the book she was reading. While she liked Mia's semi-abrasive personality, something told her Connor didn't. Which would be all the more reason for Roy to talk to Connor himself. 'That definitely won't be happening any time soon though. Roy can barely remember to feed the kids.' This wasn't helped by the fact that she'd bought food for them in the previous week because Roy had finally fallen asleep and she'd been hesitant to wake him up. 'Plus something about Connor seems to put Roy on edge. Oh well, I'll mention it to him anyways.' She glanced at Mia, who was busy doing her homework.

The two sat in the living room silently, Jade reading and Mia finishing her homework until Roy came home from work.

"Hey, Roy, do I have to pass science to become a vigilante?" Mia asked casually.

"….Yes," he replied slowly.

Jade watched him hang his jacket, mentally noting the sluggish movements of his arms. "No coffee today?" she asked.

"Huh?" Roy looked down and sighed deeply. "I thought I grabbed it." He rubbed his eyes with his palms. "Must've left it on my desk."

"Well, since you're not all caffeinated up, why don't you go take a nap?"

"No!" When Mia jumped at his shout, Roy flinched and swallowed. "I- I mean… I don't need to sleep I'm fine."

"You're exhausted."

"Didn't know you cared."

"I don't really… But I thought you might care about being sloppy and getting yourself killed in front of Connor on patrol tonight."

Roy flinched again. "I- I'm fine."

"Just go take a nap. At least a couple hours will do you some good."

"….Fine. But only a couple hours."

"Uh-huh. Go." Jade gestured to him and Roy sighed before dragging his feet to his bedroom.

"If he's napping, how're we supposed to eat dinner?" Mia asked once Roy'd left the room. As concerned she was about eating, evens he knew Roy needed to sleep more.

"Don't worry about. Finish your homework. You don't want to be an idiot."

"Thanks." Mia rolled her eyes, then went back to labeling the parts of an atom. 'Roy's losing his mind and Connor's being a jerk. Guess Jade and I are the only sane ones here right now.'

— —

The city was dark. Very dark. Even the street lights seemed less bright somehow. And yet, the buildings around him were casting deep shadows that made the street even darker. It was also empty and silent. Granted, the streets weren't usually as busy when he was patrolling, but there was some traffic— both from cars and people— so a completely silent and stranded city was unnerving. Roy put his hand to his comm. "Connor? You there?" Before he got a response, he heard a scream.

"Ah! H-Help!"

Roy's blood ran cold and his heart stopped. "No…"

"H-Help me!"

"Connor?!" The unmistakable sound of his partner's voice sent paralyzing fear through his body.

"R-Roy! Roy, help!"

"Connor!" Roy finally moved, sprinting toward the sound of the teen's terrified shouts. "Connor! Where are you?!"

"Help!"

"I'm coming!" It didn't help that the screams were almost echoing, making it difficult to find Connor. 'Where is he?! Where is he?! Where is he?!' His heart was hammering against his ribs at a hundred beats per minute and a tremor shook through his hands. Then he heard another scream.

"Roy!" Mia screeched. "Help us!"

Her shouts almost made him stop and fall to his knees, but Roy pushed himself forward. 'Oh God, they're both in danger,' he thought as he ran down street after street, eyes scanning frantically for his two missing kids. 'I have to find them! I have to!' He sprinted down a narrow alley clearing a couple of downed trash cans easily with all the adrenaline filling his veins, and turned onto a broader street. When he turned, he stopped in the middle of the deserted street. His feet stopped suddenly, as if of their own accord. The first thing he saw was Connor and Mia, kneeling in the street with their hands tied behind their backs. They appeared to be unharmed except for the two glowing swords at their necks. Two seconds later though, his brain recognized the swords and followed them from the watery blades to the metal handles, to the arms clad in black armor holding them. Finally, he lifted his gaze enough to look Kaldur in the eye.

Kaldur wore a suit identical to Black Manata's, just without the helmet, giving Roy a good look at the cold detachment in his eyes. "Very good," he said, his voice unsympathetic and measured. "You found them."

"Kal…" Roy swallowed, trying to ignore the complicated bundle of emotions that rose in his throat like bile. "L-Let them go."

"Why?" Kaldur moved his hands juts slightly, allowing the blades of his water-bearers to move just slightly more towards Connor and Mia's throats.

"They- They're kids, Kaldur!"

"Kids you will gladly put in danger by giving them masks."

"That- That's not fair, you know that!"

"Fair?" Kaldur chuckled darkly and without amusement. "What should I care about fair?"

"Kal-" Roy swallowed, trying to control his breathing and keep himself from just collapsing. "Kal… Please…"

Kaldur snorted in derision. "So this is the brave hero who took down Green Arrow, hm? Reduced to begging for the lives of two children. Although…" He looked down at Connor and twitched the blade against the teen boy's throat again. "Maybe I should just take care of this one for you-"

"No! No, Kal, please! Please, if you're angry with me, then take it out on me! But let them go!" The smirk on Kaldur's face made Roy's stomach flip-flop.

"Lucky for you, we only needed them to lure you here."

Roy frowned. "We? What'd you mean- Gah!" A sharp pain shot through his chest and heat quickly spread from his center out to the rest of his body. For a second, Roy looked down, and it took a moment for him to register the arrow sticking out of his ribcage. The green, double-barbed projectile was coated in his dark, red blood. A garbled sound escaped his lips as his knees shook, but someone grabbed him from behind to hold him up.

"Don't worry, Speedy," Oliver whispered in Roy's ear. "I'll take good care of your little friends. After all, I think you owe me, two new sidekicks."

'N…No…' Roy thought as Oliver released him and he nearly fell on his face. His legs shook violently with the effort of keeping him standing. 'H-Have 'ta save…them…' Every breath he drew felt like it was setting his lungs on fire, but before he could even formulate the thought of a plan, another arrow pierced his back-

"Agh!" Roy shot off his bed and practically scrambled across the floor to the trashcan he kept near the door. He vomited until there was nothing coming up. Even then, he kept dry heaving for several minutes until he was able to regain control of his stomach. Roy took a shaky breath and fell onto his side. A thin layer of cold sweat covered his body and loose tremors shook through his muscles. 'C-Connor… Mia…' The thought of his two kids sent a bolt of cold fear through him. Roy shot to his feet and out of his room. The first place he went to was their bedroom, but it was empty. Roy ran to the kitchen next, where he found Connor and Mia sitting at the table while Jade cooked at the stove. All three of them gave him concerned looks when he ran in.

"Are you ok?" Connor asked quietly.

"You look like shit," Mia added.

"You-" Roy almost whispered. He took a deep breath. "You guys are…ok?"

"…Yeah? Why, is something wrong?"

Roy shook his head as he closed his eyes and leaned back against the doorframe. He clutched it with his hands desperately, as his legs shook. Every muscle inches body was caught between tense and so loose they wouldn't hold his weight. 'Calm… I need to be calm…' Roy nodded, then took a deep breath. "Five things I can see." He opened his eyes. "Connor… Mia… Jade… table… chairs…" Another inhale and exhale. "Four things I can feel. The- The floor… The door- door frame… The wall… My clothes…" Inhale and exhale. "Three things I can hear. Food cooking… Water boiling… A chair creaking…" Inhale. Exhale. "Two things I can smell. Cooking vegetables. Boiling noodles." Keep inhaling and exhaling. "One thing I can taste. Sweat." He took several more, very deep breaths, then nodded to himself.

"You with us?" Jade asked as she turned back to their dinner.

"Uh-huh…" Roy mumbled. He joined Connor and Mia at the table, but he had to avoid looking at Connor because the sight of the teen's blonde hair and green eyes sent a spike of panic through his heart. "You-You're cooking?"

"Yeah, apparently Jade can cook," Mia said.

"Hey!" Jade protested as she drained the noodles. "I resent that."

"Well, your background as an assassin doesn't exactly scream domestic skills."

"I'll have you know I cooked for me and my sister all the time growing up. Besides, I need to know how to cook to be self-sufficient. A woman should never have to rely on others for such a simple task. Remember that."

"I will."

Roy almost smiled. It was nice seeing Jade get along with Mia at least, even if Connor still didn't seem that interested in getting to know her. He ran his fingers through his hair to try and make it look a little less disheveled.

"Roy, will we have time for an archery lesson before you and Connor leave for patrol?"

"Uh…" Roy looked at the time and shook his head. "No, sorry. You can keep practicing in the Cave while we're gone though. Practice-"

"I know, practice makes perfect."

Connor glanced at Roy, who was once again pointedly not looking at him, before clearing his throat quietly. "Roy…" he said in a hushed tone.

"Yeah, Connor?"

"…Uh… Rōhatsu is next week and- I- I was wondering if we can celebrate it again like last year…"

"Of course." Roy kept his gaze on the table, but he reached out to squeeze Connor's hand gently. "We'll celebrate it exactly like we did last year."

"What's R- Rohatsu?" Mia asked, stumbling over the pronunciation.

"A Buddhist holiday," Connor told her. "Roy and I celebrated it last year."

"Oh. So I'm assuming we're all celebrating it this year?"

"Yes, we are," Roy confirmed.

"Huh. What do we have to do?"

"Mostly mediate," Connor said. "But we get to have cookies and decorate a tree with multicolored lights."

"Sounds good. I haven't even celebrated Christmas in… I don't even know how long."

"….Really?"

"Yeah. Perverted men don't let the holiday season stop them from buying you for the night. And the last couple of years I was with my dad weren't exactly nice ones, even on Christmas."

"…Oh."

"Well…we're going to have a great holiday season," Roy tried to reassure both teens, still not looking at Connor. "It'll be great." Even if the thought of orchestrating the holidays, the amount of stuff he'd have to do, added to his already unbearable levels of stress. 'Doesn't matter. I'm an adult and- I have to take care of them. I'll be fine. It'll be fine. Everything's fine.' He glanced up at Jade which felt like a mistake because she shook her head a little, almost like could read his mind. So Roy looked away as she served them dinner.

"Eat," she ordered. "You don't want to be running around on an empty stomach. I've been down that road. Trust me, it leads nowhere fun."

"Can't argue with that," Mia shrugged. She accepted her plate of noodles and vegetables. "Just veggies?"

"I was under the impression Connor was a vegetarian."

"Doesn't mean I am."

"Just eat, Mia," Roy told her. "Please?" He looked at Jade and gave her a weak smile. "Thank you."

Jade shrugged. "I'm living here too right now," she said. "I'm no free-loader, hero."

"You're not a bad cook either," Mia told her.

"Told you."

"Do you like it, Connor?" Roy asked, still not looking at the teen.

This little fact didn't escape Connor's notice, but he swallowed the anger that rose inside of him and nodded tersely. "Yeah," he answered quietly. "It's…good."

'See? I have everything under control,' Roy thought as he poked at his own food. His stomach was still churning and felt largely unwelcoming to any meals. 'I have to eat to go on patrol though.'

'Do you?' a voice in his head asked him. 'You've patrolled on an empty stomach before. You survived.'

'And it was wrong-'

'Because Ollie was forcing it on you. This is different. Besides, you don't want to throw up in front of Connor and Mia, do you? You're an adult, you should be protecting them from your trauma, not freaking them out with it. What kind of a mentor are you if you can't control your brain long enough to take care of them?'

It was hard to argue with that, so Roy slurped down a few more noddles before standing. "I'm going to take care of some stuff," he said.

"You didn't even eat!" Mia objected.

"I'm not hungry. You guys eat up though. We'll head to the Cave as soon as you're done. You coming with us, Jade?"

"…No," Jade replied carefully, scrutinizing Roy with narrowed eyes. "I think I'll pass tonight."

"Ok." Roy left the kitchen, trying to ignore the curious looks that followed him as he left. He cleaned up his trash can in his bedroom, then cleaned his whole room. 'If I keep doing stuff,' he reasoned as he did so, 'then it won't give my brain time to start freaking out. I can keep myself calm until patrol.' Anything was better than letting his brain freak out again.

— —

When they got to the Cave, Roy spent a couple minutes helping Mia with her archery while he set Connor to checking the equipment and filling the quivers.

"Hey, Roy?" Mia asked as she landed her fourth bullseye in a row. "When can I start going out?"

"Going out…you mean…patrol?" Roy replied.

"Yeah, of course! I mean, I'm shooting pretty good and it takes Connor a lot longer to wipe the floor with me when we spar. I know the maps and the trick arrows. When can I start doing some real stuff?"

'Kids you will gladly put in danger by giving them masks,' Kaldur's voice echoed in Roy's head. He swallowed a bout of nausea.

"I- I don't know," he said, trying to keep his voice from shaking. "I- I still haven't decided."

"Well, it'd make an awesome Christmas present. Just saying."

"Uh-huh…" Ry turned away and closed his eyes so he could focus on his breathing. Anything but the rising anxiety in his brain. 'Kaldur knows about them… He- He knows and now-' Roy shook his head and dug his nails into his palm. 'I- I can't think about that. I- I have to believe-' Believe what?! That the old Kaldur was still in there? That he wouldn't sell out Roy's kids to his father? Not tell him there were two, barely trained, brand-new child heroes, in Star City? Yeah, that was really likely considering how easily he'd triggered Roy's PTSD the night he- that night. 'Apparently, the crippling anxiety wants to join the anger and heartache. Fun.' Roy sighed and dug the heels of his palms into his eyes so hard he saw stars. "Connor, get ready for patrol. Mia, are you staying here while we're going?"

"You know it."

"Ok." Roy change into his suit, feeling slightly calmer when he was wearing it. Despite everything, there was something so comforting about being in his suit. Like he could take on anything the world decided to throw, as long as he was Red Arrow when it happened. Unfortunately, this newfound confidence lasted exactly one minute because it disappeared when he saw G- GA- Connor. The teen seemed oblivious to Roy as he secured his quiver to his back, then put his mask on. Red Arrow shook his head and closed his eyes for a second. 'It's ok… It's not Ollie… It's not Ollie… It's not…' Oliver or not, his brain didn't seem to want to be with the program. So, Red Arrow tried to bite back all of his emotions and focus on patrol. Just focus on getting through the patrol. "Let's go, kid."

"Bye, Mia," Green Arrow said as they left.

"Later, losers!" Mia called to them as drove out on Red Arrow's bike.

— —

Within a couple hours of starting patrol, it became apparent to Green Arrow that something was…off about Red Arrow. Granted, his mentor had been acting weird for over a week, but this was different. He hardly ever looked at his young partner, instead choosing to focus on whatever criminals they were attacking. But even stranger than that, he wasn't using Green Arrow's name. All night it was 'let's go, kid' or 'come on' or even 'hey!' (the last one yelled until Green Arrow realized it was him Red Arrow was talking to).

'Why isn't he saying my name?' Green Arrow wondered when it was close to the end of the night. 'I mean… I know it bothers him, but it's never been a problem like this before.' He could've let it go. Maybe he should've. It's what his mom or Master Jensen would've told him to do…but they weren't there. Neither of them was there and Roy was. He was there and he was Green Arrow's mentor/guardian and none of this was fair!

"We should probably start heading back to the bike, kid," Red Arrow said.

"Green Arrow." When his mentor's whole body flinched, then younger vigilante narrowed his eyes behind his mask and crossed his arms.

"…What?"

"That's my name. Green Arrow. You haven't said it all night."

"I'm sure I have…"

"No, you haven't. Don't try to lie to me, Red. I'm supposed to be your partner, so tell me what's going on."

"Nothing-"

"It's not nothing! Tell me!"

"No!"

"Come on, Red Arrow!"

Red Arrow closed his eyes and tried to block out the words. "No… Just- Just leave it alone!"

"Why?! Why should I leave it alone! You've been ignoring me all week! You can't even look at me and now you won't use my name! What is it?! Why are you like this?!"

"Because of him!" Red Arrow didn't mean to shout. But he was tired and stressed and anxious and heartbroken and Connor just would stop asking questions! "It's because of him, Connor!"

"…So it is about Oliver." Green Arrow closed his eyes for a moment, glad his mentor couldn't see the hurt in them. "You're such a hypocrite."

"What?"

"A hypocrite! You've spent the last year telling me I'm not like him!"

"G- Connor-"

"That it doesn't matter that we're related! But you can't even look at me! You can't even use my hero name!"

"Stop…"

"So which is it, Roy?! I am I like my father or aren't I?!"

"Stop! That's enough!" Red Arrow took a deep breath. "I don't need to explain myself to you! You don't know half of what I've been through, Connor!"

"Because you never tell me! Whenever I ask you say I don't need to know! But you'll tell Mia all the time-"

"I said enough! You- You're benched!"

"Benched?! Why?!"

"Because- Because I said so."

"But-"

"Let's go home."

Green Arrow blinked, then bit hard on the inside of his lip as he followed Red Arrow back to the bike.

— —

When they got home, Connor didn't talk to anyone. Not Roy. Not even Mia. He stayed silent and kept his head down until they were back in the apartment and in his bedroom. Hot tears spilled down his cheeks once he'd shut the door. 'Why is Roy being so unfair?!' he wondered as he threw himself down on the bottom bunk. 'I'm such an idiot. It's already obvious he doesn't want me here. At this point, I'm just giving him reasons to get rid of me.' Connor sat up and futilely wiped at his eyes. Then, before Mia could come in, he reached under the bed and grabbed his old backpack. The one he'd been carrying his stuff in when he and Roy first met. He went over to his dresser, then began pulling clothes out. He packed a change of clothes and a pair of pajamas. As well as the picture of him and his mom. 'There,' he thought as he zipped the bag closed and slid it under the bed to hide it. 'Now if he gets rid of me…at least I'll be prepared.'

Connor sniffed at sat on the floor, trying to wipe away his tears. But they just kept falling. 'I'll never not be Oliver Queen's son,' he thought miserably. 'Not to Roy at least. I'll never be free of that association. I probably won't even make it as a hero. Kaldur didn't and he had years of experience. Even he couldn't escape the fate of having an evil father.' Exhausted in more ways than one, Connor changed into his pajamas, then crawled un the covers. He pretended to be asleep when Mia came in, sensing her standing by his bed for a few seconds before moving. Connor kept his back to her as he muffled his sobs and tried to cry himself to sleep.

— —

Roy sat outside Connor and Mia's room, watching the door. Guilt gnawed at his stomach over what had happened patrol. It wasn't fair to take out his anxieties on Connor. It wasn't fair to associate this young boy with his horrible father. And Roy knew that. But he also knew that keeping Connor benched would keep him safe. He knew he would keep flinching when he looked at the teen too fast. That his code name would get stuck in Roy's throat and choke him.

He could apologize, but deep down Roy knew nothing would change.

So he sat outside their room all night, too afraid to sleep, wanting nothing more than to protect these kids he'd taken in.


	24. Overwhelming Reality

A/N: Here's the next chapter! Roy's...trying. Enjoy and leave a review to let me know what you think!

For the next few days, the tension between Connor and Roy was so thick that even Mia hesitated to reconcile it. The best Mia could do for the next few days was try to pry the story out of Connor. He refused to say though. Every question was deflected with a denial that anything was wrong or an irritated remark about Mia being annoying. But Mia persisted, wanting to know what could've possibly happened on the patrol that caused Connor and Roy to stop talking to each other. Finding out Connor had been benched from patrol only piqued her interest more.

Even celebrating Rōhatsu couldn't bridge the gap, with Roy seeming to go through the motions of celebrating mechanically and Connor doing his best to celebrate without concerning Roy too much. Meditating helped somewhat, but the anger and hurt still bubbled inside of him within seconds of stopping. It made him miserable to be failing at meditation. Teaching Mia about how to meditate helped. So did making leaf-shaped cookies and making tea for everyone. A petty part of Connor wanted to exclude Roy from this part altogether, but he knew in his heart those actions wouldn't be in the spirit of the holiday. So he included Roy but didn't say anything to his guardian. Even Jade joined in, although more out of curiosity for the palpable tension between Roy and Connor.

For Roy, the distance from Connor was like another tally mark on his list of ever-growing failures. As much as he wanted to talk to the teen, to try explaining it wasn't because he didn't like him, something in his brain stopped him. He knew he needed to explain Connor hadn't done anything and Roy just needed him to be patient. But it felt futile when Roy still wasn't sleeping or eating. So much of his energy focused on avoiding triggers and keeping himself together that having this conversation felt beyond his capabilities. Roy tried to leave Connor alone during Rōhatsu though. He made the meal of rice and milk for when Connor finished his all-night meditation and called the kids out of school on the day itself. It surprised him when Connor still left him tea and cookies, but the teen's silence was a clear indicator of how upset he still was. Roy made one of Connor's favorite meals for dinner, but it did nothing to assuage his guilt.

Which was why the universe continued to mess with him and he got the phone call at work, a week and a half after the incident on patrol. (2nd Incident for the part of Roy's brain keeping track). "Raymond Wayne," he said when he answered, rubbing his eyes with his free hand.

"Mr. Wayne, this is Tegan Smith at the Women's Resource Center," Tegan said. "Your foster daughter Mia is part of our Escaping the Night program?"

"Ah, yes. What can I do for you?"

"Since the year will be ending soon, we usually have meetings with our participants and their guardians. I wondered if you'd be able to come in with Mia this afternoon."

"Of course. What will this meeting be covering?"

"Mia's progress in the program and what our plan will be going forward."

"I see. Mia and I will be there this afternoon. Does 4 pm work?"

"It does. See you then."

Roy hung up and sighed. 'Mia's progress, hm? I hope, it's good news. We could use some right now.'

— —

Because of the meeting, Roy decided to pick Mia and Connor up at school. They looked shocked when they saw him waiting in front of the gate, and potentially suspicious on Connor's part.

"What's wrong?" Mia asked.

"Nothing's wrong," Roy reassured her. "Someone at the Women's Resource Center called today to ask if you and I could meet with her."

"Oh."

"Come on, the meeting's at 4. I'll drop you off at home on the way, Connor."

Mia set her face in a purposefully unworried look. 'Why am I so worried?' she thought once they'd dropped Connor off at the apartment. 'Everything's ok. I haven't done anything wrong. I don't have any reason to be worried.' Then again, Connor absolutely never did anything wrong and he'd somehow gotten on Roy's bad side. 'And he's Roy's monastic, golden boy.' If the quiet vegetarian couldn't stay on Roy's good side, what chance did Mia have? Just the thought made her heart pound and her palms started to sweat. 'Calm down! God! For all you know, they're going to tell Roy I don't have to go to the stupid therapy anymore. Maybe it's nothing. Just a formality.' She could hope.

When they got to the center, Roy glanced at Mia, but she simply shrugged, then got out of the car. 'Well, if she isn't worried, then it must all be good,' Roy thought. 'Beside her walking out of group therapy a few times, I haven't heard anything negative about what she's been doing here, so it must be all good.' They walked into the main office and the woman sitting at the desk.

"Good to see you, Mr. Wayne," she said, shaking his hand. "I'm Tegan Smith. Thank you for coming in, especially on such short notice. Can you close the door, Mia?"

"Of course," Roy replied. He sat down in one of the chairs across the desk from Tegan, then Mia joined him a second later. "So, you said you wanted to talk about Mia's progress?"

"Yes. As you know, all the girls enrolled in our Escape the Night program has specific goals to reach. These goals are designed to address traumas experienced from trafficking, give them important coping skills to reduce the chance of going back to the life and provide them with the tools they can use in life going forward. We submit reports to the juvenile judge who ordered the girl to attend, determining if these goals have met and the girl is ready to graduate from the program. Unfortunately, it's my opinion and the opinion of our staff that Mia is not ready."

"What?!" Mia snapped. "That's bullshit!"

"Mia," Roy said sternly. "Language." He looked at Tegan. "I'm sorry, but why do you think that?"

Tegan looked down at the file open in front of her. "Nicky Robbins, her individual therapist has raised concerns Mia hasn't fully processed her trauma, and Kylie Johnson, our group therapist agrees. Both of them emphasize that Mia doesn't fully participate in her assigned therapies. She avoids answering questions about her past and refuses to have any conversations of substance in individualized therapy. In group therapy, she doesn't say anything and has walked out on multiple occasions."

"So what does this mean?"

"It means that our social worker will be recommending Mia be ordered to stay in the program for another year."

"I don't want to stay!" Mia objected.

"I'm sorry, Mia, but we have your best interest at heart. You have to trust this is for the best."

"Ro- Ray!"

Roy sighed and rubbed his hands on his pants. "Sorry, Mia," he said quietly. "But, it looks like it's out of my hands." He looked at Tegan. "You're certain that another year of the program will help her?"

"The program will help only if Mia wants to participate. As long as she continues to resist, she won't be able to benefit from the program in a way that will be meaningful. And the greater her risk of re-victimization."

"I'm not a god damned victim!" Mia snapped.

'I'm starting to understand why they think she's not ready,' Roy thought. He sighed quietly. "Thank you for keeping me informed. I appreciate it."

"Of course," Tegan said. "We want Mia to be successful."

"I'm glad. Is there anything else?"

"No, that's it."

"We should head home, so Mia can get her homework done." Roy stood and shook Tegan's hand again. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Have a good holiday. Mia, I'll see you in January."

Mia simply rolled her eyes as she followed Roy out of the office silently. She didn't talk until they'd gotten back in the car. "Can you believe this?!" she demanded.

"If by this, you mean you haven't participated in your therapy, then no, I can't," Roy replied slowly.

"You're not taking their side, are you?!"

"Yes, Mia. I am."

"Why?!"

"Because you should be going to therapy! What you've been through… It's traumatizing, Mia. It hurts and I know it's hard to talk about stuff that can upset you-"

"I don't need therapy. I'm fine."

"Clearly your therapists don't agree."

"Who cares what they think! They're dumb!"

"Dumb or not, it's what's best for you."

Mia crossed her arms. "I won't go. I refuse."

"You will go."

"No, I won't and you can't make me."

"Think so? If you don't keep going to therapy and start taking it seriously, then you won't be going out as a vigilante."

"…What- That's not fair!"

"Fair or not, it's what's happening."

"I hate you." The words slipped out of Mia's mouth before she could stop them. She considered apologizing as soon as she said it, but instead firmly closed her mouth.

Roy winced at her words and didn't try to pick up the conversation after that. 'So I've managed to isolate both kids and I'm losing my mind. Fantastic.' It honestly made him feel like they couldn't have gotten home fast enough. Mia seemed to feel the same way because she jumped out of the car as soon as they got home and didn't even look back. Roy sighed and silently followed her. As soon as they got upstairs she disappeared into her and Connor's bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

"Should I ask?" Jade inquired.

Roy sighed and sat on the couch so he could put his head in his hands. "Mia's not graduating from her program at the Women's Resource Center. She has to return for another year of therapy in January."

"Doesn't sound too bad."

"Except Mia doesn't want to go to therapy and doesn't care about it at all!"

"And that's a bad thing?"

"Of course it is! She's been through a horribly traumatizing situation! I know how hard it is to recover from abuse, so I know the therapy will make this easier for her."

Jade didn't say anything for a few seconds and simply surveyed Roy's body language. "Maybe you should take a nap-"

"No. I'm not tired."

"Everything will look better when you're well-rested-"

"Being well-rested isn't going to happen anytime soon!" Roy stood and rubbed his hair agitatedly. "I'm going for a walk." He grabbed his jacket as he left wanting to be out of the apartment and away from all his failures. The walk to the Cave felt too long. Like he would never get there. The people around him on the sidewalk all seemed too close and too loud. Everything was so…everything. It exhausted Roy. He didn't want to deal with anything right now. And there was only one activity that could take his mind off everything.

So when he got to the Arrow Cave, he grabbed his quiver and bow, then started shooting. Shooting arrows, watch as one after another, the projectiles buried themselves into the bullseyes at the center of the targets…it was therapeutic in its own right. It gave him a sense of calm and control; two elements that had been severely lacking in his life lately. So Roy shot his arrows only stopping when his quiver emptied and removed them from the target as fast as he could to get back to shooting. He lost himself in the movements, eventually only somewhat aware of his shooting.

— —

When Mia slammed the door of their bedroom shut, Connor lifted his head from A Tale of Two Cities. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Roy's dumb!" Mia yelled as she threw herself down on the ground. "He's dumb and mean and- and- frustrating!"

"What happened?"

"They're making me go through the program at the women's resource center again!"

"…Ok-"

"And Roy agreed with them!"

"Well, what did you think would happen? Roy's always talking about how important your therapy is."

"Maybe for him, but I'm fine. I don't need any."

'Yeah, because those nightmares you have a few times a week are the signs of a person who doesn't need therapy.' Connor agreed with Roy, but he was still kind of mad at the man, so he took Mia's side. "That's too bad."

"It sucks! And he says I won't be allowed to patrol until I start taking therapy seriously!"

"Well, I'm not patrolling ether, so we can brood together."

Mia rolled her eyes. "Why is he being so difficult? Ever since Kaldur broke up with him it's been so…different…"

"I think it's related to his trauma somehow. You know the PTSD and stuff."

"Yeah, but it's so…different from normal. He's not usually like this."

"I know." Connor laid down on his bed. "Everything was so easy when we were on patrol. Even when things were hard as Connor and Roy…I could always count that when I put my mask on it would all make sense. We were partners. We could trust each other. Being out in the city with Roy, saving people and doing good… It was amazing."

Mia frowned at him. "You say it like you're never going back. He'll let you back on patrol soon."

'That's if he lets me stay…' Connor hesitated. 'I don't want to upset her. Or she could go to Roy and it could give him ideas. Unless he already has those ideas and is going to get mad at me for bringing it up.' With his nerves jangled Connor got off the bed to meditate. As he did, Mia moved from the floor to the top bunk to work on her homework. Both of them were quiet for a few hours, with only Mia occasionally making a comment about her assigned English book.

Eventually, there was a knock on the door. "Dinner," Jade said through the closed door. "Let's go, or you're both starving tonight."

Mia rolled her eye as she closed her book. "At least she's honest."

'Figures the one person with actual honesty around here is the assassin,' Connor thought as he stood. 'Because why wouldn't it be?' He followed Mia to the kitchen and sat silently in his seat, staring silently at the table.

Jade noticed and rolled her eyes. "Why the kicked-puppy-look, kid?" she asked as she joined them at the table. "Not getting to play hero isn't the end of the world."

'It is if you're me.' Connor just stared at his plate as he pushed the grilled veggies and tofu around his plate. "It's not even my fault. Roy's being irrational."

"So? He'll get over it."

"…But what if he doesn't? Mental illnesses are…lifelong a lot of times, aren't they? What if he's always this…paranoid and anxious? Do I not get to do the best thing that's ever happened to me?"

"At least he let you start," Mia said, stabbing a piece of chicken. "He's intent on holding me to some…impossible standard that he had! Maybe I don't want to be like him! Did he ever think about that?!"

'God, why are teenagers so overdramatic?' Jade wondered. 'I wasn't like this at 14, was I? I hope not.' Overdramatic or not, it was clear to her that Roy wasn't thinking straight. 'Looks like I'll have to deal with this before he somehow loses his mind.' She quickly finished her own dinner, then left her plate in the sink. "One of you take care of the dishes. Fight each other if you can't decide; loser does it."

"Where are you going?" Connor asked.

"For a walk. Don't talk to strangers and all that."

Mia gave Connor an intrigued look when they heard the door closed. "What'd you think she's up to?" she asked.

"Don't know, don't care," Connor replied. 'I've got more than enough to worry about now.'

— —

When Jade walked into Roy's hideout, he was shooting arrows at the targets. She stopped and watched him silently for a few minutes.

By the time Roy stopped firing, his fingers were sore from holding his bow and drawing the bowstring back so often. He took several deep breaths.

"Having a good time?"

Roy spun on his heels and his hand jumped to his quiver. It dropped after a few seconds when he realized it was just Jade. "Why are you sneaking up on me?"

"It's fun."

"What are you- Wait, are Mia and Connor home alone?!"

"They're 14, Roy. When I was 14 I was basically a fully functioning adult. They'll survive I promise."

"But-"

"But, what?"

"…What if Kaldur comes after them?"

Jade frowned in confusion as she approached him. "Seriously? You're worried your ex will come after two teenagers?"

"He's a villain now! Who knows what he'll do!"

"Some villains have morals, you know. You just happen to have a lot of personal experience with one of the few who didn't." When Roy flinched she didn't back down. Someone needed to slap some sense into him and she really wanted to avoid doing it physically. "Did he say or do anything to make you think he'd come after the kids?"

"He triggered my PTSD! I haven't been this out of control in years and- and-" Roy shook his head. "I- I can't…"

"Can't what?" No response. "Can't what, Roy?"

"I can't deal with anything! I can't face Connor and Mia. Not after how much I've clearly failed them. I took my anxieties out on Connor when he hasn't even done anything wrong… I clearly haven't been paying enough attention to Mia if I didn't know she was so lackluster about her therapy…" Once again, he was hit with the reality that he had no clue how to raise teenagers. "I'm not even capable of taking care of myself half the time. Especially right now…"

"So…what did you do last time?"

"What do you mean?"

"Clearly you had this under control before. How did that happen?"

"…I had therapy and medication."

"Do you have the meds now?"

"No."

"Can you get some?"

"Yeah…" Leslie would almost certainly help him get the medications necessary as she'd done for Bruce when he was a teenager. "But…I don't like the meds."

"What do they do?"

"Help me sleep without nightmares."

"You really need some of that." When Roy opened his mouth again, Jade pressed on. "You want to be a good parent for Connor and Mia, right?"

"Of course! Obviously."

"Then you need to sleep. Teenagers are like…God's test to humanity, so you need to be well-rested. What about that therapy?"

"There's another hero who's a licensed therapist. I saw her regularly for four years but I stopped when I moved to Star because I was able to handle everything without it."

"Would she listen if you called and asked to see her?"

"Yes. Without hesitation I'm sure."

"Then do it. You clearly need it."

Roy eyed her suspiciously. "Why do you want to help me so much?"

Jade shrugged. "I don't want to. But I owe you one, so I figure I can keep your little family from falling apart from under you." She reached out and tugged the bow from his hands. "Make the calls, hero. If you really want what's best for those kids, then you need to do what you have to do." She walked away to put his bow back while Roy sighed and rubbed his face.

'She's right,' he thought. 'Jade's right. I have to do what's best for Connor and Mia. I have to.' He nodded as he took his phone out of his pocket and pulled up one of his contacts. "Hey, Dinah? It's Roy. Can- Can we meet?"


	25. Return to Therapy

A/N: Hey guys! I hope you're all well. I've been writing, working on a new story and trying to finish this one. (I've got plenty of time to work on them.) Anyways, Roy's in need of help. Read on and see. Leave a review to let me know what you think!

When Roy walked into the living room, he found Connor and Mia there; the former reading a book and the latter watching tv. He cleared his throat to get their attention, but it didn't seem to work. "I'm leaving for a few hours. Don't…burn the house down while I'm gone, ok?"

"Uh-huh," Mia answered, not even looking at Roy.

"Connor?"

"Ok.." Connor replied quietly, also not looking at Roy.

'They're still upset with me. Cool.' Roy left. When he got outside, he pulled his jacket tighter around his body against the cold wind. 'It'll be ok. As long as I can figure out a way to talk to Dinah without telling her about the kids.' It wasn't that he didn't trust Dinah, she was one of the people he trusted the most, but he wanted to keep Connor and Mia safe. No amount of therapist-patient confidentiality could convince Roy that telling Dinah was a good idea. Connor was still the son of a man who'd been a villain to the Justice League for several years. With the teen still obviously uncomfortable with his biological relation to Oliver, Roy didn't want to subject him to a bunch of adults who might do nothing but bring it up. Plus, he didn't want to give anyone the impression he was incapable of training his kids. There was also the voice in his head.

It whispered about how Roy would lose his kids if he couldn't pull his act together. That he would fail them if he couldn't figure out how to get through this.

'I can do it,' he thought as he walked to Star City's zeta. 'I can do it. There's…nothing to it.'

— —

When he got to Seattle, Roy had to double-check his phone to make sure he had ht right directions. As he walked, he tried to look around the neighborhood. 'So this is the place she escaped to when she got away from Oliver,' he thought. 'Nice.' It was a little comforting to think that she'd had a place as nice as this to use as a way to get away from Oliver. It was also a little weird because despite being so close to Dinah, he'd never actually been to Seattle where she lived. 'It was probably too close to Star City for me to consider visiting before.' And when he was in Star, his desire for independence had caused him to pull away from his allies a little bit. 'And then…everything went to hell…' Then it got better and went to hell again.

Dinah's building was unremarkable when compared to the ones around it. Five floors, brick, slightly rusty fire escape. It was unremarkable, but Roy could understand the desire to not to stand out in order to preserve your secret identity. Roy pushed the little button next to Dinah's name, then a second later the front door unlocked. When he reached her apartment, he hesitated for a second, then knocked quickly. He'd just retracted his hand when the door opened.

"Hi, stranger," Dinah smiled. "Find your way ok?"

"Yeah," Roy replied quietly.

"Good. Come in. Can I get you anything to drink?"

"No. Thanks."

"You sure you don't want some water?"

"…Sure. Water is fine." Roy looked around as Dinah went into the kitchen. Her living room was cozy and imposing all at the same time. It had all the regular furnishings, along with old weapons mounted on the walls in various places. There were a lot of plants everywhere, with a vine-looking one in the corner that climbed the wall and had spread across the ceiling, and every window sill was covered in bright, flowery plants. It was…not what he was expecting, but somehow incredibly indicative of Dinah all at the same time.

"Here you go."

Roy turned around and accepted the water, his hand shaking just a little. "Thanks."

"Are you ok, Roy? You seem nervous."

"I'm not!" He almost winced at how that sounded. "I-"

"Why don't we sit?" Dinah sat on one end of the couch and Roy sat on the other. She watched as she played with the water bottle for a few seconds, staring at the clear liquid inside as it moved inside the bottle. "What's going on, Roy? You sounded shaken up on the phone and you seem…thinner than I last saw you." Granted that had been over a year ago, but being an archer and a vigilante, Roy usually had a very solid build. "I'm guessing by the shadows under your eyes you're not sleeping, either."

Roy gave her a small, sad smile. "Sometimes I think I should be concerned about how well you know me."

"I think it's a good thing, considering the nature of our relationship." When Roy didn't say anything for a few seconds, she pressed on. "The same rules we've always had, Roy. Everything stays between us."

After taking a few deep breaths, Roy nodded. "I've just… I've been struggling since- since Kaldur."

Dinah pursed her lips. "I'll admit I was afraid he had something to do with this. I've been wanting to talk to you about it."

"So…everyone knows that he…?"

"Yes. Nightwing has taken over leading the Team permanently and Aquaman is…he's adjusting."

"Dick's leading the Team now? That's…good." While the whole situation was depressing for Roy, he was glad for his younger brother; who'd finally gotten what he'd wanted since he was 13.

"Have you talked to Dick?"

"Not in the last few weeks. Before Kal- Before everything happened we were texting back and forth once every couple weeks.

"What about Bruce?"

"I haven't talked to Bruce since Jason…"

Dinah gave him a look of sympathy. 'I'm sure being cut off from his loved ones isn't making whatever's going on with him easier.' And while she had her own theories about what was going on, she needed to be sure. "Why don't you tell me how you've been feeling?"

There were a few seconds where Roy didn't say anything, then he sighed quietly. "I've been… Ever since that night I've been really anxious. Just…so anxious. I can't stand anyone touching me. If someone grabs me I have a panic attack and I'm starting to have them a few times a week. I can't sleep. The nightmares are back and I can't get more than three hours of sleep a night." He kept playing with the water bottle, using the squeezing feeling and crinkling sounds of the plastic to keep himself focused. "Everything is just so…overwhelming. I just don't know, anymore…"

"What do you think triggered this?" When Roy flinched, Dinah frowned.

"I'm here to help you, Roy."

"I know. I know." Roy sighed and kept playing with the water bottle.

"When Kal… He broke up with me when he went to- to Black Manta. When he did…he grabbed my wrist and twisted my arm behind my back." Roy's heart started pounding against his ribs and his breathing got faster, making it difficult to hear his own voice. He squeezed the water bottle tighter. "He- He did that and shocked me. Just…electrocuted me so I was stunned then threw me into the water…" A shiver went down his spine and several of his muscles seized like he was being shocked. A small popping sound made him jump and he looked around. The lack of resistance when he squeezed the water bottle made him glance down and cold dread gripped his stomach. He'd squeezed the water bottle so hard, the cover popped off and water had spilled across the carpet. "Oh no…"

"It's ok," Dinah reassured him gently. She stood and made sure to walk around the puddle in a way that didn't put her in close proximity to Roy. Careful to stay calm, she retrieved a towel, then returned to Roy, who looked like he wanted to pass out. "Roy, I need you to breathe."

"I- I'm sorry-"

"I know. It was an accident. It's ok." Dinah simply put the towel on the floor and stepped on it a few times, then left it to absorb the water on its own. "The carpet could use a cleaning anyway." When she returned to her seat, she noticed Roy was staring at the towel. "Roy. Roy." When his head snapped toward her she tried not to look as sad as she felt at the fear in his eyes. "It's ok, Roy. Breathe. Inhale and I'll count. One, two, three, four, five, six seven, eight. Hold it. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven. Exhale, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine. They did this for close to ten minutes before Roy seemed to visibly relax. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah… Yeah…" Roy wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans, chewing on his bottom lip.

"What's on your mind?"

"…It's been a long time since I've had a bad reaction to making a mistake like that."

"I know. It seems like you're experiencing a relapse in your PTSD symptoms."

"I think so…" Roy sighed and rubbed his eyes with the heels of his palms. "I'm so tired, Dinah…"

"Tired as in physically, or as in emotionally?"

"…Yes?" When Dinah snorted, a smile pulled at the corners of Roy's mouth. "I'm tired because I can't sleep, and I'm tired because it's all getting hard again. I can't go out in large crowds, because I keep thinking someone might attack me. The night terrors are back several days a week. It's all getting bad again and I don't know what to do!"

"Do you?"

"…Do I what?"

"Do you really not know what to do?"

"Well- I mean- I know all that grounding techniques. And usually, I can use them but lately, the panic attacks have gotten so intense that it's hard to think."

"So the panic attacks specifically feel overwhelming and out of your control?"

"Yeah."

"So let's talk about something that's in your control. The nightmares. Have you thought about starting the Prazosin again?"

"I have actually. I called our…physician and she said she can help me get some."

"That's good. I'm proud of you. It's a big step for you to seek out the proper medication yourself, especially since you're so vocal about how much you hate the side-effects."

"Well… I have a lot of…responsibilities that need my attention and I can't really do that if I'm not sleeping. Plus I miss sleeping through the night."

"Do you know what it shows me?"

"I'm a mess?"

"It shows me that even with things that are overwhelming and outside your control, you have the ability to tackle them in small, manageable pieces."

"Yeah, but- Nightmares and panic attacks are different."

"True, but you're smart. I'm sure you can think of ways to deal with the panic attacks."

Roy was quiet for a minute as he thought about it. "…I could take up meditating on a daily basis. If I do it multiple times a day, it could lower my overall anxiety levels so the panic attacks may not be as bad."

"That's a good idea. Anything else?"

"Uh… I could use my ground techniques with my anxiety before it becomes full-blown panic."

"And the practice…"

"Will help me be better at grounding myself during a panic attack." Roy smiled in an amused way. "You make it all seem so easy."

"I'm not doing anything, Roy. You have all the tools you need to handle this; it's why I was comfortable stopping our weekly meetings. But sometimes we all need a little help remembering what we're capable of."

"…Why do you have so much faith in me? I- I don't think anyone's ever believed in my ability to manage my PTSD on my own like this."

"It's my job. Remember what the goal of therapy was?"

"For me to live a full and healthy life."

"Exactly. And I fully believe you can do it." She didn't get a response and Roy simply looked down at his lap. "Is there something else on your mind?"

"…Kind of." Even if Dinah was helping him find ways to manage his PTSD, the difficulties he was having with Connor and Mia were still at the forefront of his mind. When Dinah didn't say anything, he knew she was waiting for him to say something. "It's just… So, I've been working with some kids." Even a half-truth might get him some much-needed aid. "And I've been…struggling."

"Struggling how? You've always gotten along with your siblings."

"I know but this…this is different. One of the kids…his dad is a…murderer and it…weighs on this kid's psyche even though he hasn't done anything wrong. And I don't know how to help him?"

"Don't you?" When Roy gave her a confused look, Dinah returned it with a meaningful one. "I think you know a thing or two about having a relationship with a person who has done terrible things and unfairly placed blame on yourself."

"But it's different. He's related to this guy, but he never met him."

"And you had a close relationship with a person you weren't related to. I know it seems like a big difference but if you really think about it, I think you can find enough similarities to help this boy."

"If he would talk to me, maybe." When Dinah gave him a curious look, Roy sighed. "I snapped at him last week. He keeps asking me questions about my past and everything that happened and…"

"Snapping at someone is a mistake you can recover from, Roy. You just need to find a way to apologize and make it up to this boy. As for asking about your trauma…it's entirely up to you if you want to talk about what happened. If you don't want to, then you just need to tell him that. Explain that you're not comfortable discussing it and if you're close like I suspect you are then he'll understand."

"It's not that I'm not comfortable discussing it, I just don't know how hearing about what happened to me will help him."

"You never know. It just might."

Roy was quiet for a minute as he digested this. "There's also this…girl I work with. She's…a good kid, but she's been through some stuff. I know, you know, from experience, that going to therapy will help her, but she doesn't want to go. When she does, she just sits there and doesn't participate. How do I make her see how beneficial it'll be for her?"

Dinah gave him a very amused look. "While I commend you for how much you clearly care about this girl and how much you want to help her, you can't make her do anything. Therapy will be its most effective when the person wants help. You of all people should know that. How often did you have to do homework at the beginning of the therapy?"

"…Quite a bit. But, I know it'll help her-"

"And when she wants help, she'll know where she can go, which might be the best thing you can do. Therapy worked so well for you because you were ready for it. And if I remember correctly, Bruce had a difficult time even getting you to admit that what you went through with Oliver was in fact abuse and that it was wrong. I seem to remember him mentioning you wanted to go back to Oliver for several months."

"Well…yeah…"

"It's a natural part of overcoming trauma, Roy, especially if she's been through abuse like you did. She'll come around eventually and until then, all you can do is be there for her, ready to help when she does decide she's ready."

"It's not easy…"

Dinah gave him another smile. "Believe me, I know. But it seems like you really care about these kids, so just remember that what was good for you might not be good for them. Every person is different. And if you're really this unsure, then you can always ask Bruce. He does have a lot of experience with this kind of thing."

"…I don't want to. I know it seems juvenile, but I don't want to be the person who reaches out first. I'm not the one who cut off contact."

"It's not juvenile. I can't say I'm impressed with how Bruce handled everything. As much as I understand he was devoted by Jason's death, I'm assuming you were just as upset."

"Of course I was! Jay- He was my brother. I was shattered and they just…shut me out. Left me alone to deal with everything by myself-" Roy stopped for a moment and took a deep breath so he could take a deep breath and swallowed his budding anger. "I want to talk to Bruce, but I don't want to be the person who has to bridge the gap he created."

"That's perfectly fine. But I feel compelled to mention that he always mentions how good you are at being a vigilante. Mostly to critique other members of the League, but I think the sentiment is the same."

"…I wish he could tell me that." Roy quickly wiped the wetness from his eyes. "So, I just need to be patient?"

"And remember that the kids are different from you. Meet them where they're at and I promise it'll be easier."

"Ok…" Roy sighed, then nodded. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. I'm glad I could help. Anything else you need help with?"

"…No. I- I think I can handle it for now. Thank you, Dinah. It's nice to talk to you again. It's so…familiar and I could really use something familiar right now."

"I'm sure. If you feel like you need it, we can start meeting once a week again for a few months."

'I don't know if I should be leaving Connor and Mia that much. But…they can probably handle themselves for one hour a week. And I need to get a handle on things in order to take care of them.' Roy nodded. "That'd be great. Thanks."

"Does this date and time work?"

"It does. Thanks."

"I'm happy to help until you get a handle on everything."

"Yeah…" Roy glanced at the time and sighed. "I should probably go. I have a lot of stuff to take care of in Star."

"You should get going then. Try to work on sleeping more and meditating. We'll touch base again next week."

"Ok." Roy stood and gave Dinah a small smile. "Thank you again, Dinah. I really appreciate it."

"I'm always here to help, Roy. Remember that."

"I will." Roy felt a little lighter as he left. Not significantly lighter, since this one meeting was no guarantee he'd be able to sleep more and regain control of his panic attacks, but he now had slightly more confidence and a plan to tackle everything. 'And I have a better idea on how to deal with Connor and Mia,' he thought as he walked down the street. 'I need to be patient and…potentially share my trauma with Connor. Maybe I don't understand how it'll help, but it shouldn't matter. Whether I understand or not, if it helps him I should do it. It's not like it makes me severely uncomfortable to talk about it.' Barring the instinctual reactions he suffered when thinking about certain events, talking about what happened wasn't too difficult. 'I can do it. Dinah believes in me. She's never been wrong before, so if she thinks I can do it, then I will. I can do this. I have to.'


	26. Setting Things Right

A/N: Merry Christmas! No...wait... *shuffles note cards* Happy Easter! I hope everyone's healthy and safe. I've almost finished writing this. Enjoy the chapter and leave a review to let me know what you think!

As much as Roy wanted to, there was no way for him to go back and have a Rōhatsu for Connor. But that didn't mean he couldn't try to make up for it in another way. So, the day after his meeting with Dinah, Roy poked his head into Connor and Mia's room.

"Connor, do you want to patrol tonight?" he asked.

Connor's eyes opened slowly from his meditation. "I can patrol tonight?" he asked, almost in disbelief.

"Yes."

He should've been thrilled. Connor knew he shouldn't think twice about Roy's sudden change of heart and seize the opportunity to be on the streets again. Instead, Connor was wary. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why can I patrol now? Why change your mind? What's changed?"

Roy tried not to sigh, then looked at Mia. "Can you leave us alone for a bit?"

"Sure," she answered moodily, then quickly gathered her homework and left the room.

After she left, Roy shut the door and sat on the ground across from Connor. "I'm sorry," he said, preferring to get it over with. "I shouldn't have yelled at you. I was tired and stressed, but that's no excuse. It was unfair of me to bench you like I did."

"Then why did you?"

"Because I'm scared."

Connor frowned in confusion. "Scared? But…you're Red Arrow. You're a great hero, what could you have to be scared about?"

Roy smiled, slightly embarrassed by Connor's compliments. "I'm afraid Kaldur may come after you guys. After what he did… I obviously can't trust him anymore and when it comes to people I can't trust, my brain has a tendency to assume the worst."

"Because you have PTSD?"

"Yeah." Roy was quiet for a moment as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm sorry that my reactions, the impulses my brain has, is upsetting you. I don't mean to upset you."

"I know you don't mean it. It still hurts though."

"I know and I'm going to try to do better, I promise."

"I just want to understand, Roy. What happened with my father? What was so bad it makes you barely able to look at me?"

Roy took a deep breath. 'Remember what Dinah said,' he thought. It may help Connor in a way he didn't understand, but maybe he didn't need to. "What do you want to know?"

"Huh?"

"You want to know what happened, right? I can't promise I'll answer every single question, but I promise I'll answer what I can."

Connor was quiet for a moment as he thought about it. His eyes glanced down at Roy's hands, the scarred flesh of his left palm just barely visible. "What happened to your hand?" There was a moment of silence where he was convinced Roy wasn't going to answer, but then the man started talking.

"It happened when I was 14. It was the last few weeks I was living with Oliver before Batman and Robin rescued me. I'd done something that made Oliver decide not to feed me dinner. I don't know why, but he was starving me a lot more often toward the end of my living with him. Anyway, I was really hungry. So, I tried to sneak some food, but he caught me. I accidentally knocked the food off the stove and Oliver was so mad he held my hand against the hit burner as punishment."

Something cold and sickening gripped Connor's stomach. "What- What did you do that made him not want to feed you?"

Roy almost snorted. "What didn't I do most of the time? I think that time… Yeah, it was because I messed up my archery. He'd told me to practice and… Ollie really didn't have any patience for me missing shots. I was still recovering from a different beating and the pain made me miss my mark. Of course, he happened to see, so when I asked if I could take a break, he said if I did I couldn't have dinner."

"So…he made you choose between resting because you were injured and having dinner?"

"Yes."

Connor swallowed. "Why are you missing a tooth?"

"That was-" Roy stopped himself just short of saying it was his fault. Because none of it was his fault and he knew that. Even if his brain still fell down that rabbit hole sometimes. "That was from a beating I got because I asked Oliver if killing people was really a good thing."

"Why did you ask? Weren't you afraid to do something like that?"

"I wasn't really thinking. Robin was sneaking into Star sporadically at night and he'd been saying things that made me think. Before I had accepted that Oliver would do things his way, but when I talked to Robin…it made me wonder if I could change Ollie's mind."

"Did you really think you could change him?"

"I did. For…a while. Especially after I left Star. Once I'd been in Gotham for a couple weeks, it felt like I had space to finally think. Unfortunately, once I started thinking, I began to think that if I went back to Star, I could change Ollie."

"You wanted to go back? Even after…everything that happened?"

"I did. I was traumatized and emotionally attached to Oliver. It wasn't a great time for me."

"When- When did you stop being so emotionally attached to Oliver? When did you finally hate him?"

"I don't hate him. I've never hated Oliver."

"Why not?"

"I don't really know, to be honest." Roy watched Connor look at the ground for several seconds. "Do you hate him?"

"Well…yeah. I hate that he did all this stuff. That he killed so many people and caused so much pain, especially to you because you're so great. I hate being related to someone so awful. But…I know Master Jensen and the other monks wouldn't approve of my hate."

"It's not worth your hate, Connor. There's so much other stuff you can be focused on in the world. Positive stuff. Oliver's imprisoned on another planet and he's never coming back."

"But he still scares you?"

"Yeah…"

"What else did he do?" Connor swallowed his own nauseated feelings at the thought of how much Oliver had hurt Roy. 'But if I do, I can know what to look for. What signs I need to avoid so I don't end up like my father.' So he spent the afternoon, listening to Roy's stories, internalizing them to keep his own life on the right path.

— —

With Connor on patrol again, things looked up in Roy's small world. Getting the Prazosin was a huge relief since he was exhausted from not sleeping. The side effects did come back, but between meditation and using the techniques he'd learned as a teenager, he was soon averaging 5 hours of sleep a night. Which turned out to be needed, because as the holidays approached, crime got worse. He and Connor spent night after night chasing down burglars and muggers, trying to steal from others during the giving season; as well as people taking advantage of the busy shopping season to go after vulnerable targets. It was still hard for Roy to use Connor's codename while they were in the field, but with sleep and meditating bringing his anxiety back under control, at least saying 'GA' was manageable. Which wasn't to say everything was perfect.

Walking in large crowds and people grabbing him still sent Roy spinning into a panic attack, but as Christmas got closer and he fell into a pattern of sleeping, meditating, and meeting with Dinah, their intensity decreased. Grounding himself to stop the panic still took longer than it had before the Incident and he struggled to keep his anxiety under control for a couple of hours or so afterward but it was progress. And considering the alternative, Roy would take slow progress over no progress any day. Then there was Mia.

Their disagreement still weighed heavily on Roy, especially when he tried to talk to her and she simply ignored him. With Connor back on his side, then teen tried to get Mia to talk, but she always refused. Roy knew he needed to apologize to Mia as well, but he wanted to wait. Just until Christmas so he could not only apologize but tangibly show Mia he was willing to be patient for her. So he sucked it up and just let her stay angry at him. With everything going on, Roy probably wouldn't have survived to Christmas if it wasn't for Jade, who, inexplicably, was still with them. But with the holiday so close, he didn't really mind. The more the merrier.

On Christmas Eve, Roy was in the Arrow Cave, working on the last few adjustments/additions he needed to make to Connor and Mia's big Christmas gifts. He was so focused on his work that he barely noticed when his phone started ringing. By the time he noticed, it had stopped, but a few seconds later it started raining again. Roy looked at it and swallowed before he answered. "Hey."

"Hey," Dick said quietly. So quiet it was almost hard to hear him, even over the phone. "What's…uh…going on?"

"Nothing much just…getting ready for tomorrow."

"Yeah, right. Big plans?"

"Not really. You?"

"Uh…no. Just…patrolling tomorrow night probably."

"Patrolling on Christmas?"

"Yeah. You don't?"

"No, I kept Bruce's tradition of staying in on Christmas night. Besides, weren't you the one who told me not even Commissioner Gordon works on Christmas?"

Dick chuckled. "I'll probably swing by the Mountain too. See everyone there."

"How is everyone?"

"Good. Adjusting. Our…original members are having a harder time than the newer ones. Even Wally and Artemis have checked in with us more often just to make sure its all going smoothly."

"Well…good."

There was a moment of awkward silence. "What about you? How're you holding up considering everything?"

Roy sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. "I'm…trying…"

"Trying?"

"Yeah, it's… It's complicated, Dick. When Kal- When he left he… He caused some kind of relapse in my PTSD so I've been struggling. Nightmares, panic attacks, mild flashbacks, you know the drill."

"What'd you mean he caused it? How?"

"When he…you know…he grabbed my wrist and twisted it behind my back. He stunned me too, but I think the grabbing and twisting was more what triggered me. That and the fact it was someone I loved and trusted who did that. I'm sure that was part of it. Its been a rough month, honestly. I've just started getting more than two hours of sleep a night and getting my panic attacks under control again is a struggle."

"Oh… I- I'm sorry…"

For as second, part of Roy's brain thought the regret in his brother's voice was strange, but he dismissed it. They might not be on the best terms right now, but even Dick wouldn't want Roy to be suffering again. Deep down, he knew his brother loved him and would never want something like that. Dick was probably just worried. "Thanks. I'm back on the Prazosin though and I'm back to seeing Dinah once a week."

"That's good. I'm sure you'll be able to figure everything out."

"Funny, she told me the same thing." There was another awkward silence. "Have you talked to Bruce?"

"A little bit, back and forth. Why?"

"No reason. Just checking."

"Uh-huh. I've gotta go Roy, Team stuff, but I'll talk to you again soon. Ok?"

"Ok, Dick."

"Bye and Merry Christmas."

Roy smiled into his phone. "Merry Christmas, little brother."

— —

The next morning, Mia was the first person awake. She hung down from the top bunk to check on Connor, who was still asleep. As silently as possible, she somersaulted off her bunk, landing gently on the carpeted floor. She left the room and tip-toed into the living room. Jade was still asleep on the couch, so Mia walked around it as much as she could to get a look at the tree. Roy had left the lights on overnight, and they cast multi-colored shadows on the green tree. Beneath the tree though, was a pile of presents wrapped in shiny red and green wrapping paper. Excitement bubbled in her stomach as Mia practically threw herself onto her knees by the tree. She moved the gifts around as gently as she could, trying to look at the tags.

"Aren't you a little old to be getting up this early on Christmas?" Jade asked.

Mia glanced back at her, feeling a little bad she'd woken the woman, but then shrugged it off. "I'm not really…familiar with Christmas." She looked up at the golden star, glistening atop the tree. "Christmas with my dad was usually whatever crappy dollar store gifts he could shoplift that year if he remembered at all. There was never a tree, although one time when I was 9 I found a large tree branch and brought it into my bedroom, then made a paper chain to drape over it. And with Richard… I've spent the last two Christmases sleeping with strange men for money. There wasn't exactly presents and cookies and warm, fuzzy tv specials."

"My family wasn't exactly good at the Christmas thing either, so I feel you, kid. Seems like Roy's really into it though."

"Yeah. Connor said it was because one of the few times of the year things were always good for him. Even when he was being abused."

"Makes sense then."

"If I open one of these presents just a little, will you tell?"

"Yes."

Mia rolled her eyes and threw herself back on the carpet. "I don't want to wait for Roy and Connor to wake up."

'At least Roy is sleeping,' Jade thought as she stood and stretched. "We can at least sneak some hot chocolate and cookies while we wait for the boys."

"Best thing you've said so far." Mia pushed herself to her feet and followed Jade into the kitchen. The Christmas cookies she'd helped Connor decorate the night before were right where they'd left them on the table. She sat down and snatched a star cookie covered in red frosting. "Do you like Christmas?"

"I'm indifferent. Assassins don't really have time for something as superfluous and self-indulgent as holidays."

"Neither do prostitutes."

"The more you know."

The two sat silently, enjoying hot chocolate and cookies until Roy woke up and walked into the kitchen. He frowned at them as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "Why are you guys eating cookies?" he asked, frowning. "It's...8 in the morning!"

"And hot chocolate. That's a food and a drink, that's basically a meal. Besides, it's Christmas," Mia objected. "Isn't this the one day I get to have pure sugar for breakfast?"

Roy opened his mouth, then closed it and shook his mouth. "Never mind. Not worth it. I'll go see if Connor is awake so we can get cracking on the presents." He went to Connor and Mia's room and knocked. "Connor? You awake?"

"Yeah." The door opened, revealing Connor, still in his pajamas. "I'm assuming Mia is still awake?"

"She is. It seems like she and Jade have been up for a while. Come on, I'll make hot chocolate for the two of us and we can grab some cookies."

"…Cookies?"

"Looks like we're having cookies for breakfast."

"Huh… Ok." Connor followed Roy into the kitchen and plopped down into the seat next to Mia. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas," Mia replied.

"You got up early today."

"So I'm excited. Sue me."

Connor rolled his eyes and grabbed a cookie off the plate. "You weren't this excited about Rōhatsu a few weeks ago."

"Well, I wasn't familiar with it. Next year I'll be more excited."

"Uh-huh."

Once Roy had made hot chocolate for himself and Connor, he grabbed a few cookies and gestured to the living room. "Go on."

"Let's go, Con!" Mia smiled. She grabbed Connor's hand and practically dragged him to the living room.

Roy smiled as he followed them, Jade, right behind him. The two adults sat on the couch and watched as Mia tore into the presents eagerly and Connor opened his thoughtfully.

"Clothes?" Mia asked as she examined the items. "Ooo, they're cool too. And this sweater is so soft and fuzzy. Connor, feel it."

Connor rubbed the fuzzy sweater and nodded. "I got a sweater too." He held up the soft, knitted green sweater he'd gotten. "It's nice, I wish I could wear it to school." He glanced at Mia, but she'd already moved on to her next gift, so he set his sweater aside and moved on to the next gift too.

"A journal?" Mia glanced back at Roy in confusion.

"In my defense, the lady at the store said a lot of teenager girls write in journals," he explained.

"Hmph. It's got a cool cover." She angled it back and forth, watching as the holographic cover changed in a rainbow of colors. "What'd you have, Connor?"

"Books." Connor looked over the older sci-fi books he'd unwrapped. "Thanks, Roy."

"You're welcome," Roy said. "I know you guys have limited shelf space in that room, but I remember you looking at these last month."

"You remembered that?"

"I made a mental note."

"You're excited about books?" Mia asked him as she unwrapped a plush stuffed lion.

"You've got a stuffed animal."

"That's different. He's practically a pillow. That makes him practical."

Connor smiled as he opened his next gift. "Whatever you say."

"This is the majority of your guys' gifts," Roy said. "But you each have a…big gift that you won't get until later tonight."

"What are they?" Mia asked. When Roy merely smiled and wiped his hot chocolate, she rolled her eyes. "Fine."

"What're the plans today?" Jade asked.

"Movies," Roy replied eagerly. "We're going to spend the whole day watching Christmas movies."

"Can we stay in our pajamas?" Mia asked.

"…Sure." Alfred had never allowed Roy and Dick to stay in the pajamas all day, even on Christmas, but he didn't see the harm in letting Connor and Mia do it. 'I'm an adult. Pretty sure I'm allowed to make decisions like that.' He nodded to himself as he took a sip of his hot chocolate. At some point, Jade left and returned with the plate of cookies.

She shrugged when he gave her a look. "Might as well eat them," she argued as she took one for herself. "What other reason is there for Christmas cookies."

"Good point." Once Mia and Connor were done opening presents and had raided their stockings, Roy stood. "I'll get the movies. You two clean up the trash."

"Don't talk about Connor like that," Mia said as she gathered up the wrapping paper.

Connor frowned, then glared at her for a moment before he also gathered up his shredded wrapping paper.

'At least she's in a good mood,' he thought. 'Good. I know she hasn't really had a nice Christmas like this, so I want to show her how great it can be.' Even if Mia was insistent on how un-traumatized she was and how ok everything was, Roy was determined to give her a good Christmas. To show her that someone could give her nice things without expecting anything in return. So, he gathered up the movies, then put one on before returning to the couch. Mia was on the floor in front of Jade, her knew black, fluffy blanket wrapped tightly around her. Connor was next to her, silently munching on a cookie. It wasn't exactly like Christmases in the Manor. It didn't snow in Star, and when it did, there was little more than first that melted in a couple hours. But it was still cozy and nice. For the first time in weeks, Roy settled down without an ounce of anxiety in his brain and relaxed as the first movie played.

— —

The day passed entirely without incident. The four inhabitants spent it watching movies and eating cookies. Eventually, Roy had to take the sweets away, if only because he still planned to make a Christmas dinner for them and actually wanted people to eat it. In the late afternoon, after they finished the final movie, he stood and stretched.

"I'm going to start dinner," he said. "Connor, do you want to help?"

"Mhm. I found a veggie casserole recipe in an old cookbook in the library at school," Connor replied as he stood himself. "I think it'll be really good."

"Sounds good."

Roy and Connor gathered up the empty mugs, then walked toward the kitchen. As they left, Roy heard Mia ask, "Hey, Jade, want to play Clue with me?"

"I don't know how to play," Jade replied.

"I can teach you. We had it in my classroom when I was like…9 or 10 and it was my favorite game."

Connor glanced at Roy as they entered the kitchen. "How'd you know she liked Clue?" he asked.

"I'm a detective, Connor," Roy replied as he put the mugs in the sink. "Besides, I can hear you guys when we're in the Cave, you know."

The afternoon was tranquil and merry. Connor helped Roy prepare dinner while Mia taught Jade how to play Clue. Over the next few hours, Roy received messages from his friends and a call from Barbara. By the time dinner was ready, Roy was still in a great mood as he started putting food on plates.

"I won!" Mia cheered as she came skipping into the kitchen. "Roy, I beat Jade at Clue."

"You've got detective training," Jade muttered as she followed, rolling her eyes. "It's not exactly a great feat."

'But she's a highly intelligent, trained assassin with ties to the League of Shadows,' Roy thought as he joined them at the table. 'I highly doubt she couldn't have beaten Mia, especially if she wanted to.' He gave Jade a knowing smile, but she merely rolled her eyes again, then looked away.

"What is this?" Mia asked, lifting the main course of her dish with her fork.

"Eggplant parmesan," Roy told her.

"It's what we had on my birthday," Connor added.

"Oh, right," Mia replied. She took a bite, then shrugged and kept eating.

"See, you like some vegetarian food."

"Shut up."

"Be nice," Roy said. "If you guys don't be nice, I won't take you to the Cave for your big presents."

"I didn't do anything," Connor objected. "She's the one being mean!"

"Snitch," Mia said.

"It's not snitching if Roy is right here," Jade pointed out. "He can hear both of you."

Roy tried not to smile as he continued to eat, but more or less failed spectacularly.

— —

After dinner, Roy took Connor and Mia to the Cave. Jade opted to stay behind, so it was just the three of them as they walked through the dark, mostly deserted streets.

"We should live closer," Mia said. "It's so far."

"Distance is good," Roy argued. "Distance creates doubt if anyone sees something they're not supposed to."

"Smart. No wonder you get to be in charge of this operation." She heard Connor snort and shoved him off the sidewalk.

Roy simply smiled at them. They entered the property through the back fence, then used the backdoor to get into the building. As soon as they were in the backroom, Roy grabbed two blindfolds he'd left there the night before. "Put these on," he said.

"Why all the cloak and dagger?" Connor asked as he tied the blindfold around his face.

"You'll see."

"Not with these on," Mia pointed out as she tied her blindfold in place.

"You can take them off when we get downstairs," Roy said. He opened the secret staircase, then went over to Connor and lead him toward the stairs. "Mia, don't go anywhere."

"Wasn't planning on it."

"Ok, Connor step down. Down. Down. Down." Roy directed the teen down to the Cave then positioned him in a place where he'd see his gift right away. "Ok, don't move."

"I won't."

Roy went back upstairs, then gently corralled Mia down the stairs as well. He positioned her right in front of her gift, then stepped back so he was more or less evenly between them. "Ok, take off the blindfolds in three… two… one!" The teen took their blindfolds off and for half a second nothing happened.

"Oh whoa-" Connor breathed but was cut off by Mia's shout.

"Holy shit! Is that my superhero suit?!" she asked excitedly. "It has to be! Oh my God, it's just like the picture!" The suit was mostly red, with yellow boots and gloves/gauntlets. There was a large, yellow arrow on the chest and a similarly colored cape, with an attached hood. "You gave me my cape?"

"Yes…" Roy sighed. "I still think it's impractical, but you were very determined. Figuring out how to fit the quiver was a pain. I managed to design it just right so that there's a small opening in the cape where the arrows can stick out."

"It's still so cool- Wait, does this mean I can patrol?"

"I still want to test you a little more to make sure you're ready, but you should be good to go by the New Year. Without having to participate in therapy. You still have to go, because your social worker will come after me if you don't, but if you're still not comfortable taking, then that's ok."

"…Thanks."

"You're welcome." Roy looked over at Connor, who hadn't moved. "You ok, over there?"

"You got me a motorcycle?" Connor asked in disbelief. He stared at the dark green and black bike, which was admittedly really cool. "But…I don't know how to ride one."

"It's ok, I'll teach you. Once Mia's on the streets with us, my bike alone won't be enough to get us around."

"How come he gets a bike?!" Mia objected.

"Seniority privileges. Besides, you finally got your suit. That's still pretty great."

'I got my suit. I'm going to be a vigilante. I got clothes, games, movies…' Apprehension started pooling in her stomach and spreading. 'Roy- Roy gave me all this stuff. All- Everything- He gave me all this stuff and-' An unidentifiable feeling started wrapping itself around her lungs, making it difficult to breathe. Oxygen seemed in short supply as her lungs struggled against whatever was strangling them. Tingling traveled down her arms and legs, making her stumble. Someone caught her, but she wasn't really aware of who it was. "S-Stop!" she gasped. "Don't touch me!" She jerked away from the hands, which only resulted in her falling onto the ground.

"Mia… Mia, I need you to breathe. Can you do that?"

"Uh-uh…"

"Ok. Ok. Take a small breath. Very small. Like i"m doing. Listen to my breathing."

It was difficult to hear over her own strangled breaths, but she did her best. The breathing she was supposed to be listening to loud and exaggerated, making it easier to hear. She took a small breath, then exhaled quickly.

"Slower, Mia. Slow. I'll count and you breathe, ok? One, two, three, four. Good, no, don't exhale yet. Hold it you can do it, good job. One, two, three. Ok, now exhale slowly. One, two, three, four, five. Very good. You're doing great. Inhale again."

Mia followed the instructions until her breathing eventually evened out and whatever had been strangling her lungs stopped. Some of the tingling remained, but she could ignore it.

"Are you ok?" Roy was kneeling in front of her, concern written all over his face.

"I- Yeah. I'm fine."

"Are you sure? Because it seems like you just had an anxiety attack."

Mia scowled a little bit. "It's fine, Roy. I'm fine."

Roy opened his mouth, then shut it. 'I need to do this at her pace,' he reminded himself. At Mia's own pace. "Ok. As long as you're feeling good."

"I feel great." Mia got to her feet quickly. "See, fine?"

"Uh-huh." Roy stood as well just as his phone started ringing. He pulled it out of his pocket and his mouth fell open a little bit in shock. "Uh… Why don't you two go home and we can have some dessert? I'll be there soon."

"Ok…" Both teens gave him a suspicious look as they left.

Roy ignored them in favor of taking a doe breath, then answering the call. "…Hi."

There was a short pause. "…Hi, Roy," Bruce said. "How are you?"

"I'm…doing fine. I guess."

"You guess?"

"I… Things have been hard since, Kal."

Another short pause. "I'm sure."

"How about you?"

"It's been…fine. Lonely."

Roy raised his eyebrows. "Hmm…"

"How are…things in Star?"

"Things are good. Annual holiday crime spike, but I suspect it'll go down in a few weeks."

"…I- I heard the crime rate is at the lowest it's been in 10 years."

"Is it? I don't really pay attention to stuff like that."

"You should. You're doing good work there."

"I don't really care about overall crime rates. The police can worry about that. I just focus on how many people I'm helping."

"Hmm…"

'What a fascinating vocal range he has,' Roy thought. "I talked to Dick yesterday."

"So did I. He's really taking to his new role as Team leader."

"Good to know." There was another, long pause, so Roy sighed and rubbed the back of his neck; mindful he had two teenagers waiting for him at home so they could have dessert. "I- I have to go, Bruce."

"Oh! Right, of course."

"But you can…call again sometime. You know, if you want to."

"I will. I'll call next month."

"Ok. Good." Another pause. "Bye, Bruce. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, Roy." A second later and Bruce hung up.

Whether it was relief or happiness from finally speaking to Bruce again, Roy wasn't sure, but he also didn't really care. It was just nice to finally be talking to his mentor/former guardian again. 'One of the best Christmas gifts I've gotten today.'

— —

Much later that night, after dessert and Connor and Mia going to bed, Roy sat on the couch with Jade enjoying a cup of hot chocolate.

"You haven't had enough of that stuff?" Jade asked him.

"Nope," Roy smiled.

"You're like a child."

"You better be nice or I won't give you your gift."

"Oh please, like you got me a gift."

Roy gave her an 'oh really?' look, then stood and walked over to the tree. He pulled a small present out from the back, then handed it to her as he took his seat again. "Merry Christmas."

Jade frowned in suspicion as she examined the small package, then slowly opened it. She frowned at what she found in the box. "A knife?"

"Saw it in a pawn shop window on patrol a few nights ago. See, when you hold it up to the light it looks like its changing color."

"….Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why give me this? Don't I already owe you enough?"

"You don't owe me anything Jade."

"That's not how the world works, hero."

"Well, it does in my world." When Jade rolled her eyes in response, Roy frowned. "Ok, why don't you tell me why you've stuck around so long? You've been properly healed for months, so why stay?"

"I'm just re-paying my debt."

"Uh-huh… That's why you pushed me to take care of myself and fed the kids while I was spiraling?"

"Yup."

"So, it's all debt you feel you owe me for helping you. It has nothing to do with you liking me?"

Jade sputtered for a moment. "I- I don't like you!"

"It's alright, you can say it. You live in my home, help me take care of my wards, eat dinner with us. We're friends."

"We're not friends."

"Sure we are."

"You wouldn't be friends with someone like me."

"You don't know that."

"Oh really? So, you're perfectly ok with being friends with someone who helped Green Arrow spy on you and killed people for money?"

"I mean…we all make mistakes…"

"You're unbelievable." Jade rolled her eyes, then looked down at the knife. She was quiet for a minute. "For what it's worth, every second I was with Oliver Queen, I wanted to punch him in the face."

"Good to know, I guess."

"….What would Batman say if he knew you were friends with an assassin?"

"Trust me, Batman doesn't really have any room to judge me."

Jade was quiet for another moment. "Looks like we're friends then."

"I'm glad. And thank you, Jade. For everything you've done for me and the kids."

"Don't go soft on me, hero."

Roy simply smiled as he took another sip of his hot chocolate.

— —

When Roy went to bed that night, he walked over to the window almost without thinking. He had his hand on the lock before it hit him.

He didn't need to unlock his window.

Kaldur wasn't coming to see him.

Pain shot through Roy's chest as he withdrew his hand. 'Right… Kal's gone…' So instead, he went to bed. Tears leaked from his eyes and he buried his face in a pillow, hugging another one to himself desperately. Despite all the fun, he'd had that day, pain and sadness consumed Roy as he cried himself to sleep; desperately wishing he could smell sea salt on his sheets and pillows, just one more time.


	27. Mia's First Patrol

A/N: It's Mia's time to shine! Enjoy and leave a review to let me know what you think!

[January 2015]

A small smile played on Connor's lips as he watched Mia pace back and forth. "The night won't come faster by pacing," he said as he turned back to his book.

"It might!" she argued. A glance at the clock informed her that Connor was right though. It was only noon. She groaned and threw herself dramatically onto the carpet. "Where you this impatient the first time you went on patrol?" After a moment without a response, she lifted her head to look at him, then snorted and rolled her eyes. "Never mind. Look at who I'm talking to." She dropped her head back down.

"It's not really a proper patrol." Connor didn't even look up from his book as he talked. "Roy's not going to let you go far and he'll probably spend the next few weeks teaching you how to zip-line." Something hit him in the side and he fell over. He glanced over at Mia from where he was sprawled on the floor to find she was glaring at him. "Sorry. It's true though. Roy's paranoid about side-kicks, Mia-"

"I know, I know. Because one of his adopted brothers died. But that was different. It was in Gotham. From what I've heard that place is like…insane."

"Star can still be dangerous. I'd only been Green Arrow for a few weeks when I had to help Roy and few other heroes stop bank robbers with laser weapons that had ties to a super-villain."

"God, that's so cool! I wish I could do something like that!"

Connor smiled a little as he sat up. "It was pretty cool." He laughed a little as Mia pushed him over again in response. "Just relax. It's going to be fine."

"I'm so restless!"

"Just be patient, Mia. Night will be here before you know it. Besides, you still have to think of a hero-name, don't you?"

Mia bit the inside of her lip and glanced away. "I mean… No?"

"What'd you mean no?" Connor set his book down. "Do you already have one?"

"…Sort of. I have an idea for a name. I just- I don't know how Roy will react to it."

"Well… I don't think it can be any worse than me wanting to be Green Arrow."

"Yeah, that was a pretty out there decision you made. Did it take a lot to convince him?"

"Mmm… Not really. He actually agreed much faster than I thought he did after I explained why I wanted to use that name. But it did come with the caveat that if it became too much, he reserved the right to make me change it." Which Connor was really glad hadn't happened in the last month, considering the state of Roy's mental health.

"Ok. Good." Mia nodded as she grabbed a puzzle Connor had gotten for Christmas, then opened the box and dumped the pieces out on the floor in front of him.

"What're you doing?"

"You think I need to be patient, and I'm bored. So let's do a puzzle. You're a Buddhist, that's zen, right?"

Connor opened his mouth, then closed it and shook his head with a smile. 'As long as it keeps her distracted, I guess.'

— —

Later that night, Mia was practically vibrating all through dinner. It was obvious to everyone else, with Jade rolling her eyes (although Roy noticed there didn't seem to be a lot of malice behind the gesture) and Connor was outwardly amused, though he tried to hide it. Roy simply smiled and tried to keep Mia focused on eating her dinner, insisting that she wouldn't be allowed to patrol with an empty stomach. When the meal finally ended though, she bounded out of her seat and toward the door.

"Its kind of early to head to the Cave," Connor observed.

"True…" Roy agreed. "But if we don't go, she might self-combust."

"Probably."

"Jade, do you want to-"

"No," Jade answered before he could finish.

"Fair enough. Come on, Connor. Let's go before Mia leaves without us."

'She'd definitely do that.' Connor shook his head as he quickly put his shoes on, then grabbed his jacket as he followed Roy out of the apartment. 'Mia's really excited to be a vigilante.' Not that he could judge since he'd been just as excited himself. 'I've been a fully-fledged vigilante for almost a year now. It'll be a year in March. I can't believe it.' The first of what he hoped would be many, many years of being a hero. Where he would help countless people and not be like his father.

"Connor," Roy said eventually. He spoke quietly even though Mia was ten feet in front of them. "I want you to keep an eye on Mia while we're out tonight. Watch her back."

"You don't trust her?"

"It's not about trust. This is her first night out. Watch her back and stay together. No matter what. I'm counting on you."

Connor nodded solemnly. "Got it. Watch Mia's back and don't leave her side. I can do it."

"Thank you."

Part of Connor was extremely happy that Roy trusted him enough to help Mia out while they were patrolling. The other part tried to argue Connor was his only other option besides keeping an eye on Mia himself. 'Shut up,' he thought. 'Roy trusts me. We've been partners for almost a year. He practically jumps when a stranger looks at him too fast. If he didn't trust me a least a little bit, then he wouldn't let me keep an eye on Mia. She's the one he has a special connection with anyway, remember?' And even a little bit of trust from Roy was better than nothing.

They got to Roy's office and let themselves in through the back. Mia was so excited that she opened the secret passage to the Cave herself.

"Slow down," Roy told her as she skipped stairs in her haste. 'God, the last thing I need is for her to fall and get hurt.' The irony wasn't lost on him that he was worried about Mia getting hurt on the stairs while he was about to take her out to fight dangerous criminals. "First thing's first, Mia, you need to fill your quiver. Connor, show her how and make sure both of ours are ready to go."

"Over here," Connor said to Mia, gesturing for her to follow. The arsenal rack against the wall now had more arrows than they had before, along with two more, smaller yellow quivers, and two new, smaller, red bows. "So, typically we want 60 arrows per quiver. 30 normal ones, 10 electroshock, 5 glue arrows, 5 rope-based arrows like the net-arrow, 5 zip-line arrows, and 5 of my choice. I like the knockout gas ones and try to slip in a couple of boxing-glove arrows in there."

Mia nodded as she helped Connor load all the arrows into the quiver. "There are so many arrows," she said, a hint of nervousness in her voice. "What if I pulled the wrong one?"

Connor shrugged. "Adjust your aim and change your plans on the fly."

"Oh. Right…" Doubt started creeping up her mind and Mia swallowed. She purposefully looked away from Connor, afraid he might see the doubts on her face. 'What if I'm not any good at this?' she wondered as she put the arrows into her quiver. 'What if I screw everything up? Would Roy still want me here if I can't be a vigilante like him and Connor?' She glanced at the other teen, who was filling two quivers with ease. 'I'm already a street gremlin compared to Connor. I don't know what I'll do if I can't at least kick criminals' asses as well as him.' It felt like the most worthwhile thing she'd ever done in her life, the first worthwhile thing, so she was determined to succeed at it. 'I've gone back to school and made it halfway through the 8th grade. I can do this too. I can.'

Once they had the quivers filled, the two teens suited up. Despite her doubts and anxieties, Mia couldn't help but smile as she put her suit on. It fit perfectly and while it was a bit more contouring to her body than most of the clothes she'd started wearing on a regular basis, the cape that fell around her hid her body enough that she felt confident wearing it. Plus, when she applied the mask, putting the adhesive on how Connor had shown her, it sent a strange confidence through her. Having her identity hidden gave her the kind confidence she could only dream of having while she was a prostitute. Putting the quiver on took a minute, but once it was in place she felt ready.

"You look great!" Red Arrow told her.

"Thanks. The suit fits me."

"I'm glad. So, decide on a codename yet?"

"Uh…" Mia glanced at Green Arrow and he gave her an encouraging nod. "Yeah."

"Great! What is it?"

"…Speedy."

There was a long minute where no one said anything. Red Arrow's face fell and he shook his head. "Mia… No…"

"What?! Why?!"

"Because- Because."

"Because why?!" Mia crossed her arms. "Why can't I be Speedy? Connor gets to call himself Green Arrow!"

"Don't bring me into this," Green Arrow muttered.

"You just- You don't understand, Mia," Red Arrow said. "Speedy is- That's not a good name."

"Why not? It was your name! What's so bad about it?!"

"Because it was the name he gave me!" Red Arrow closed his eyes and took several deep, slow breaths. "I didn't pick the name Speedy, Oliver gave it to me. Speedy wasn't a hero, Mia. He was an accomplice. He helped a murderer."

Mia frowned and her arms loosened a little. "…Why do you say it like that? Like you and Speedy were completely different people?"

'Because I have to,' Red Arrow thought, unable to voice the words properly. 'Because it was the only way I could distance myself from everything that happened while I held that mantle.' He took several deep breaths again. "I know you want a good name, Mia, but Speedy isn't it."

"But Speedy was your name," Mia emphasized the last two words. "That- That makes it good. You're like…the greatest hero ever! Look at all the shit you went through! Anyone else probably would've forgotten about something like this. They would've run screaming, but you've stuck with it for years! Despite all the hell, Oliver Queen put you through, you still became a hero. And Speedy was your name. That makes it a good name and its the name I want."

Again, there was a long minute where no one said anything. Red Arrow tried to keep his eyes from tearing up. It was hard to maintain the focused, stoic model of a hero when Mia was speaking so highly of him. 'And damn, is she passionate about it. How can I say no to that?' Red Arrow took a slow breath and nodded. "Ok. Ok. You can be Speedy."

Mia- Speedy grinned victoriously. "Thanks, Red."

"You're welcome. Now, Green Arrow, Speedy, let's go."

"Can I drive your bike, GA?"

"Absolutely not," Green Arrow said as he led Speedy over to the motorcycle. "You don't even know how."

"Do you know how?"

"I do. I've been practicing for the last week."

"Let's go then! The criminals won't wait for us!"

Green Arrow smiled as he got on the bike and Speedy got on behind him. "You got it." She wrapped her arms around his was it and he followed Red Arrow out of the Cave.

— —

The January air bit at Speedy's exposed face, but she didn't mind. Her suit was warm and the hood on her cape kept a lot of the wind off her face. She followed Red Arrow across the rooftops, eager to start taking down bad guys. They stooped after a few blocks and he crouched on the edge of a rooftop. Green Arrow and Speedy knelt on either side of him. "See down there?" he asked quietly, pointing to a parked car. "Looks like those three are trying to break into that car."

"They look young," Green Arrow observed. "Teenagers maybe?"

"Looks like it. Just scare them off. We shouldn't need to bring them in."

"Are you sure?" Speedy asked.

Red Arrow nodded. "We've dealt with lots of teens like them. They're not dangerous, just stupid kids. Some vigilantes scaring them should send them home for the night."

"Got it."

"Let's go."

Speedy tried not to feel excited as she followed the other two archers to the ground, then pulled an arrow from her quiver. As she ran, she fired but the arrow missed the crowbar she was aiming for. It glanced off and cut the sweater of the teen holding the object. Speedy cursed under her breath, then fired another arrow. This one hit its mark and the force knocked the crowbar out of the teen's hand. She fired an electroshock arrow at the boys' foot, shocking him. He yelped and backed away from the car. When Speedy pointed another arrow at him, he turned and ran off down the street. Speedy smiled as she watched him run, then lowered her arrow and turned around. Red Arrow and Green Arrow were already done scaring off the other two. "They scattered really easily."

"They usually do," Red Arrow nodded. "Let's go."

Speedy elbowed Green Arrow as they left. "Psst. I just stopped a criminal. For the first time. I did that."

"I know," Green Arrow smiled at her. "You did a good job."

They went a few blocks before coming around the corner in time to see two men in the middle of an exchange. One was taking a stack of cash while the either was taking a duffel bag.

"That looks suspicious," Red Arrow muttered. One of the men glanced around and spotted the vigilantes, then shouted something and took off running. The other man looked back, then darted down a side street. Red Arrow sighed. "I got the guy with the bag. You two take the guy with the cash."

"Got it," Green Arrow replied. "Come on, Speedy." Speedy followed him down the street after the man. They caught up quickly, but the man was fast and took a sudden turn down a narrower side street,

"Should we split up?"

"No! Shoot an arrow!"

Speedy pulled the correct arrow from her quiver, only fumbling a little bit with trying to pull an arrow from her quiver while running. Nocking the arrow to the bowstring was just as difficult, but she got it. The electroshock arrow his leg as the man attempt to climb a fence.

"Agh!" he yelled as the jolt went through his body and his gripped slipped.

Green Arrow was positioned over him as soon as he hit the ground, an arrow pointed at him. "Don't move," he said.

"Damn kids… I ought to-"

"You're not going to be doing much. Speedy, can you restrain him?"

Speedy nodded and pulled a zip-tie from her utility belt. As she knelt down to restrain the man, their comms beeped.

"Did you catch the other guy?" Red Arrow asked.

"We got him," Green Arrow replied. "Speedy's restraining him now."

"Good. Meet up with me back on the first street. We've got a case. Leave him there and call the police."

"Got it." Green Arrow let his hand drop and looked at Speedy. "Red says to leave this guy for the police, then meet back up with him."

"Ok." Within a few minutes, they'd alerted the police, and were running back in the direction they'd come. When they got there, Red Arrow was there was a man Speedy recognized immediately.

"Two sidekicks?" Detective Rodgerson asked.

"I'm new."

"Hmm." The detective looked at Red Arrow. "We're busting a big drug trafficking ring tonight. All I need you to do is keep an eye on things from above and watch my officers' backs. Do you think you can handle that?"

"You can count on us," Red Arrow said.

"Good. Edinson Wharf. Midnight. Don't be late."

Red Arrow gestured to his partners and they followed him down the street, back toward their bikes.

"If we don't finish by 1 am, does that mean we get to stay out late?" Green Arrow asked hopefully.

"…Looks like it," Red Arrow replied. He glanced back at the teens. "Don't get used to it though."

"Didn't seem like Rodgerson liked us too much," Speedy observed.

"No. My relationship with him is…complicated." What wasn't complicated at this point in his life? "He was around back when O- Back when there was a less than great vigilante running around, so he's suspicious. But I've been working on convincing him that we're here to help."

"It's better than it was last year," Green Arrow added as they reached the bikes. "At least he doesn't want to shoot at us anymore."

'Well that's good, I guess,' Speedy thought as she got on Green Arrow's motorcycle behind him. She stowed her bow on her back, then wrapped her arms around his torso. 'We don't want to get shot, after all.'

— —

When they got to the wharf, they hid the bikes then followed Red Arrow to the roof of a nearby building. He stood on it, arms crossed, looking at the ground below him. Green Arrow and Speedy watched him silently as he punted to various places, moving his finger around as he followed some kind of path. Eventually, he nodded. "Ok. GA, I'm going to position you close to the water. One the red building right on the edge. Keep an eye out for small boats in case they use it as an escape. Speedy, you'll be by the road. Same thing, keep a close eye out in case they try to escape. You'll also be the lookout and keep up posted on when they and the police are on their way. I want you on the brick building over there." He pointed out the building and glanced back at her. "Got it?"

"Got it," Speedy nodded, trying to mask her nervousness with confidence. 'Just being the lookout and shooting anyone who tries to run away. I can do this.'

"And I'll stay on this building and keep an eye on things from here. Stay on the comms and alert everyone else to anything suspicious."

"You mean besides the obvious suspiciousness of there being drug traffickers here?"

"Yes, besides that."

Speedy let herself to the ground, then sprinted across the open space to another building. She snuck down the sides of the buildings, trying to keep to the shadows. 'I have to do this right,' she thought. 'Connor's already got a year of experience on me. I have to get this right. I have to.' She got onto her assigned building using a grapple arrow, then settled down by the lip of the roof. There were 2 lights on the side of the building giving her a small bubble of light to see by. Looking down the road that led to the wharf, she was able to see where a street light illuminated the area twenty feet away. 'Looks like this light will give me a good shadow to hide in,' Speedy thought. She pulled a pair of binoculars from her utility belt and looked through them. 'Perfect. I have a great view of everything.'

It was silent and still as they waited for the bust. Staying still had never really been a strong suit for Speedy. The urge to move around and squirm kept pulling at her muscles, but she did her best to ignore it. She allowed herself to adjust her legs to keep them from falling asleep but tried to stay perfectly still otherwise. 'I can't give away my position. I have to get this right. I have to.' It would help if the criminals and police would just get there already!

"Any signs yet, Speedy?" Red Arrow asked quietly.

"Nothing yet," Speedy whispered back. "Seems like they're taking their time."

"Traffickers are overly cautious and prepared. They won't show up until they're sure it's safe."

"Goody." Speedy let her hand fall from comm and went back to watching the road.

It felt like forever before something happened. A caravan of five SUVs drove down the road, passing under the streetlight Speedy had been watching one after another.

"They're here."

"Keep your eyes open and don't give away your positions unless absolutely necessary."

"Got it."

"Understood," Green Arrow replied.

Speedy followed the SUVs with her binoculars as they passed by her building, then into the open area of the wharf. When they stopped, close to two dozen people got out. Immediately, half of them went straight for the red building where Green Arrow was stationed. For a moment, fear jolted through Speedy's body, but they didn't find the vigilante. They didn't even look up. Instead, they went inside the building and, with a few of them standing guard with big guns, started unloading plastic crates from the building. 'I bet that's where they're hiding the drugs.' Looked like Green Arrow had been given a front-row seat. The sound of approaching cars made her look back toward the road. 'Must be the cops.'

She took a deep breath as she put her binoculars away and knocked an arrow to her bowstring. Then the headlights of the police cars disappeared quickly before they even reached the streetlight. 'Where did they go? Maybe they turned off the road so they can sneak up on them on foot. That'd be smart.' Her theory was proven correct when 10 minutes later, police officers started creeping toward the open space of the wharf.

"Star City police!" Detective Rodgerson yelled. "Put down your weapons and put your hands up!"

Evidently, that wasn't what the criminals had in mind, because everything got chaotic after that. Guns were going off back and forth. Speedy caught sight of the police taking cover behind some large metal containers and she took aim. She wasn't good enough to shoot down the barrel of a gun like Red Arrow, especially not from this angle, but she knew she could hit them with either electroshock or blue arrows to take out their guns. The arrow hit its mark, but then she saw several of them getting back into the SUVs.

'Not on my watch!' Speedy pulled a glue arrow from her quiver. Sure enough, the SUV sped past her, but she was ready. The arrow hit the ground right in front of it and the glue dried so quickly it caught one of the tires. The vehicle came to a sudden stop and jolted. Speedy pulled another glue arrow from her quiver and shot it at the back tire on the side facing her. Satisfied the car wasn't going anywhere, she pulled a regular arrow from her quiver and shot it at the second SUV that had tried to leave right behind the first one. This one hit the tire and pierced a hole in the rubber. The driver quickly lost control and drove into the back of the first SUV. Speedy shot out the back tire as well to make sure they couldn't go anywhere.

There wasn't any time to celebrate though, because the guys in the SUVs were trying to escape on foot. They started running, but Speedy started firing. She hit two of them with electroshock arrows but the others were in weird spits where she couldn't hit them. Speedy hesitated for a moment glancing back at the open space where the shootout was still happening, then moved. She stood and backed up several big steps, then ran toward the edge. The SUVs had been stopped not far from her building, so she leaped from the roof of the building to the roof of the closest vehicle. She hit hard, having to somersault across the roof and down the windshield to the hood. It was rough and she could already feel bruises blossoming on her back and shoulders as she stood on the hood, but she ignored it.

The criminals were surprised to see her, but she didn't give them more than half a smirk before shooting at them. She shot electroshock arrows at them, as well as regular arrows to snag their clothes. It was tricky, twisting and turning, spinning on her heels to shoot them. She almost slipped a couple times but didn't miss a single shot. At one point a bullet hit a window on the SUV she was standing on, so Speedy dropped down onto one knee, but kept firing. Once all the guys form the SUV had been stopped, she cautiously slipped off the hood and darted over the shadow of the building.

The shooting had stopped, so she crept around the corner to see what was going on. The police were handcuffing each of the criminals. All around them, guns with arrows shot down the barrels were laying on the ground. Some of the criminals had clearly been stunned by an electroshock arrows or had ropes wrapped around a wrist, or glue on their hands or feet. Speedy watched for a minute before someone put a hand on her shoulder. She stiffened and spun around, grabbing the wrist as she did.

"Just me," Red Arrow whispered. "Come on. Let's get out of here."

Speedy nodded and followed him away from the wharf. When they got to the bikes, Green Arrow was there waiting for them. He didn't say anything, but he smiled and gave her a fist bump before he got on the bike. Speedy smiled as she got on the bike behind him and they headed home.

— —

"So…" Mia asked casually, once they were back in the Arrow Cave. She pulled her mask off as Roy looked at her. "…How- How I'd do?"

Roy smiled at her. "You did good, Mia," he reassured her. "Although I don't approve of you jumping from the roof onto an SUV…"

"Well, you didn't say not to." She heard Connor snort and looked at him. But he quickly turned away, trying to hide his smile.

"But you still did good. That was a bit more eventful than what I wanted your first night out to be like, but you held your own. You did good, Mia. I'm proud of you."

Heat crept up Mia's cheeks and her stomach flip-flopped a little. "Thanks."

"Are either of you hurt?"

"Nope," Connor said as he hung up his quiver and bow.

"Just a little bruised," Mia said. "Nothing serious."

"Ok. Get changed, then we'll head home."

Mia tried not to skip as she went to change out of her suit. Once she'd put it away, she hung her quiver and bow on the wall. As she stepped back from her bow, Mia couldn't help but stop and admire it for a moment. 'I did good,' she thought. 'I- I really did a good job. Maybe I can do this. Maybe- Maybe I can do something good. I can be better than I was.' A smile crept across Mia's face as she turned away and followed Connor and Roy up the stairs; something new and entirely unfamiliar blooming in her chest.


	28. St Valentine's Day

A/N: Happy Sunday! I hope everyone's staying safe. Here's the next chapter! I'm almost done writing this story. I just need to finish the last chapter. Enjoy!

As soon as Connor tried to return to his and Mia's bedroom from the bathroom, the door opened and Mia jerked him inside. "Do I even want to ask?" Connor sighed as Mia shut the door.

"Do you know what day it is?" she asked him.

"Uh…Friday?"

"Close. Valentine's Day."

"…Ok?"

Mia rolled her eyes. "Hello? Valentine's Day? The day of love? Flowers, hearts, candy, stupid cards?"

"I still don't follow."

"The day for couples, Connor! Something Roy's not in at the moment."

"Oh…" Connor glanced back at the door. "You think he'll be taking it hard today?"

"How long were he and Kaldur dating?"

"Three or four years."

"Yeah, he'll take it hard."

"He'll probably be depressed all day."

"Exactly. So, I say we make a pact. Don't say anything about Kaldur. Try not to let Roy be super depressed today. But if he is, don't like…bring attention to it. Deal?"

"Deal." Connor grabbed his backpack, then followed Mia out of their room. "Think he's up?"

"Probably not. He's probably in bed crying into his pillow-"

"Morning guys!" Roy greeted cheerfully. "You're just in time. Breakfast's almost ready."

Connor and Mia frowned as they sat at the table. There was a bouquet of flowers in the middle, with bright pink paper napkins and plastic silverware. Instead of normal plates, they had paper plates decorated with pink and red hearts that read 'Happy Valentine's Day' in loopy cursive.

"Where did you get this stuff?" Mia asked. "Did we have this laying around?"

"Bought it this morning," Roy answered as he placed a bag of candy hearts on the table. "I know I don't normally let you guys have sugar in the morning but hey, its Valentine's Day, right?" He ruffled Connor's hair before going back to the stove.

"You bought…" Connor's voice trailed off as he glanced at the clock. "It's not even 8 am!"

"I know!"

"There's a 24-hour party store somewhere in Star," Jade supplied. She was sipping coffee out of a bright pink, travel cup with a dancing heart on it. "And a florist apparently."

"Ok, here we go! Heart-shaped pancakes and bacon. Fruit for Connor." Roy started piling pancakes onto their plates. "I used food coloring to dye them pink and red. And I've got hot chocolate with your names on it. Want some Jade?"

"I'm good." Jade held up her coffee. "But you should have some. You've already had more than enough coffee today."

Connor opened his mouth to ask how much coffee Roy could've had already, but then he decided he didn't want to know. He dug into his pancakes. "Mmm… Very good."

"Delicious," Mia added.

"Great," Roy smiled as he joined them at the table. "So, I've got big plans for today. We're going to have a wonderful dinner tonight before patrol. Steak for us, tofu for Connor. Sound good?"

"Sounds great…"

"Yeah…" Connor didn't miss the glance Mia sent him. He gave her a small shrug in return. 'Geez. His first Valentine's Day after Kaldur broke up with him. You'd think he'd be at least a little sad.' Instead, Roy was happy. Very, worryingly happy. 'But we agreed not to bring it up. Besides, I don't want to say something and upset him.' So Connor said nothing and at his heart-shaped pancakes with fruit.

Once they finished, they brushed their teeth and Roy had bag lunches for both of them. "I know you guys usually buy lunch," he said as he handed each of them a bag. "But I figure since today was such a special day, I'd make you something special. Sandwiches the I cut into the shape of hearts. Ham and cheese for Mia, peanut butter and jelly for Connor. Plus watermelon, candy hearts, lollipops, and red fruit juice. The perfect Valentine's lunch!"

"Thanks, Roy," Connor said cautiously.

"Yeah…" Mia agreed, almost suspiciously. "Thanks. Come on, Con."

"Bye."

"Bye guys!" Roy called as they left the apartment.

"So…" Connor began once they were walking down the sidewalk. "That was…"

"Weird?" Mia prompted.

"So weird. I thought for sure he'd be upset. But he's…almost manic."

"Jade didn't seem worried."

"Of course not. She's…you know… She probably enjoyed all the chaos."

Mia glanced at him. "She's not that and you know. If you get to know her she's actually pretty cool."

"Well, she barely says two words to me a day, so I don't think bonding is high on our list right now."

"Whatever, back to Roy. What'd we do about this?"

"What do you mean? I don't think we can do anything. It's kind of like grief, you know? We should let Roy deal with his emotions in his own way."

"Hm… I guess you're right."

"He'll be alright."

"Yeah."

They entered the school grounds, then made a beeline to the middle schoolyard. When they got there, Connor sat in his spot along the wall. He pulled his math notes out of his backpack and started reading through them.

"Hey Connor," Alyssa said as she dropped next to him. "Studying for the quiz?"

"Yeah," he said. "Just making sure I understand these x and y things."

"I'm sure you'll do great. You have one of the highest grades in the class."

"Not higher than yours."

"Well, we can't all be as smart as me."

Connor snorted and gave her a smile. "Guess not."

"So…you going to the Valentine's dance tonight?"

"No."

"Oh, really? Why not? No date?"

"No well…yes." Connor sighed. "Yes, I don't have a date; no that's not why I'm going."

"Why aren't you going?"

Connor shrugged. "Not really my thing."

"Oh really?" Alyssa put her hand on his knee. She squeezed it and Connor looked at her in confusion. "And what is your thing?"

"…I don't understand."

"I hear a lot of rumors and I just want to know what your thing is."

"My- what?" Connor jerked his knee away from her hand. "Alyssa, what're you talking about?"

"Are you...you know…into girls?"

"Girls how?"

"Girls as in long hair, dresses, boobs." She reached out and touched his hair, but Connor jerked way.

"I'm uncomfortable here." He stood, but Alyssa stepped in front of him, effectively pinning him to the wall.

"Come on, Connor. I know you like me. We're both smart and focused. Plus, you're so quiet and polite, nothing like the other boys."

"Uh…thanks? I think?" Connor shook his head. "Look, you're a nice girl and everything but I… Uh…"

"Do you really want everyone saying those things about you?"

"What things?'

"Don't you know? Everyone in the 8th grade is saying you're gay."

Connor's stomach dropped to his feet. "Gay? I- I'm not-"

"Then kiss me and you can prove to everyone that you're straight."

"Uh…"

"You want people to stop calling you names, right?"

"…Sure?"

"Good. The hold still." Alyssa leaned in and kissed Connor, somehow still catching him by surprise. Frozen in shock, he just stood there and waited until it was over. Several students were watching them and he felt heat creeping up his cheeks. Eventually, she finally pulled away and smiled at him. "You're a good kisser. First time?"

"Uh-huh…" Connor's heart thudded against his ribs. His legs shook with the effort to stay standing. "I- I have to go…" Trying not to stumble, he grabbed his bag, Algebra notes still clutched in his hand and ran inside. Students weren't allowed inside before the first bell unless it was to use the bathroom. So he ran into the boys' bathroom and locked himself in a stall. He dropped his bag on the floor. The shaking in his legs caused him to drop next to it. Connor swallowed, very aware of how his heart was pounding in his chest. It felt like how he felt on patrol when he got outnumbered in a fight or a criminal ran off. Except there was no fight and no one too chase. Just him, alone in a bathroom stall on Valentine's Day, with the awkward taste of Alyssa's strawberry lip balm on his mouth. Connor frowned and rubbed the sleeve of his sweater against his lips. He sat back with so he could lean on the wall of the stall and closed his eyes.

Kissing Alyssa was nothing like he'd pictured it. Despite what he'd learned about not being intimate at Arsham, kissing had fascinated him. It seemed in the past year more and more of his classmates had started kissing. The boy's locker room before gym class usually had at least one conversation going about which girls the boys had kissed. While Connor had never understood the fascination the other boys had with girls, their stories had caught his imagination. Was it really as good as everyone claimed? Did it really make you that happy?

No, it wasn't and no, it didn't.

Connor shook a little as he kept rubbing his sweater against his mouth. Kissing Alyssa had been awkward and weird. And really uncomfortable. The thought almost brought tears to his eyes, so he bit the inside of lip hard to stop them. He thought about the butterfly feelings when he looked at the attractive boys in his classes. The way his mind wandered, wondering what it would be like to kiss them. How uncomfortable and upset he was right now after kissing Alyssa. Connor shook his head. 'No. I'm not- There's no just no way.'

The first bell rang, but Connor didn't move. Because he knew if he moved, then he'd have to go to Algebra. Where he'd have to sit next to Alyssa. 'And everyone will know we kissed,' he thought miserably, putting his head on his knees. 'Because somehow people just…always know these things.' One of the many mysteries of middle school. 'What if they can tell I didn't like it? Everyone already thinks I'm…if they already think it, then what will they say if they find out I didn't like it?' Memories of cruel, racist names being thrown at him surfaced. So did the feelings of anger and frustrations at how the words never, ever stopped until he made them stop. Until he punched the other kids until they stopped. Connor shook his head vehemently. 'I don't want to go through that again. I'd rather have everyone ignored me like at my old school than go through being bullied like that again.' Plus Roy definitely wouldn't keep him if Connor proved he had his father's temper and lack of self-control. The sound of the warning bell made him sigh.

'If I don't go to class, then they'll call Roy,' he reminded himself. 'And Roy won't let me patrol if I'm skipping class. Plus…he's already stressed out today. It's a hard enough day for him, I don't need to make it worse.' Connor took a deep breath, then slowly stood and picked up his bag. He left the bathroom and shuffled to Algebra. The last warning bell rang just as he entered the class. His seat, third row, fourth desk, felt like it was 100 feet away as he navigated his way through the other desks. A few people whispered as passed them, making his heart pound. When he sat down, Alyssa winked at him and Connor looked at his desk, smoothing out his notes as he did.

The girl who sat on the other side of Alyssa got her attention, then the two girls conversed for a few seconds. When they stopped, the second girl looked at Connor and made a kissy-face at him. Connor glanced away, but accidentally caught the eye of the boy who sat to his right. The boy smiled at him. Two of the boys sitting behind him gave him pats on the back. It seemed like half the class knew. 'Maybe it's not so bad,' Connor thought as he put his notes away in his backpack. 'If they think I liked it and leave me alone, then it's worth it. I don't want any more trouble. I don't need any more trouble. I just want to get through the 8th grade.'

— —

"Thanks for the warning," Mia said as she sat down at their usual lunch table.

"What'd you mean?" Connor asked as he opened his lunch and pulled out a few candy hearts, then shoved them into his mouth.

"I mean, I would've appreciated a little warning about you and Alyssa Mariano."

Connor suddenly became very interested in his heart-shaped sandwich. "There's nothing to tell."

"Oh really? Is that why everyone is saying you two were locking lips before the first bell?"

Heat crept up Connor's cheeks. "It's nothing, Mia. Can you drop it?"

"It's nothing to be ashamed of, Connor. Believe me, I'm the last person who'll judge you for making out. I'm just a little hurt you didn't bother telling me you liked her."

'But I don't like her! I didn't even like the kiss!' Part of Connor wanted to bang his head off the table. It was weird having people think he liked Alyssa when he didn't, but he also didn't want them to know he didn't like it. So he was stuck. "It's just…personal."

"Is this like…a Buddhist thing?"

"No- Well…maybe. I don't really know. Can you just drop it, please?"

"Alright. There's no need to be so jerky about it. I'm on your side."

For a moment, Connor almost considered telling Mia the truth. How he hated the kiss with Alyssa. How he wished he could've kissed the boy who sits in front of him in English instead. The really attractive one with blonde hair who was always playing basketball. He didn't though. A secret wasn't much of a secret if he started telling people. 'Besides,' he thought as he shoved more candy hearts into his mouth. 'Once I say it out loud it's…a thing. And I don't want it to be a thing. Not yet. Maybe not ever.' Connor unwrapped a lollipop. "How'd you think Roy's doing?"

"Good, I hope. I'm worried about him, Connor. He's been so…weird since Kaldur dumped him and now…it's like all that never happened."

"Its a show. I think he'd rather run around and pretend everything's fine."

"Other than the special dinner tonight, how much worse do you think it'll get?"

"No clue, but I think we should just take it in stride. On Valentine's day last year, he was out all night with Kaldur. All night. They went to dinner, wandered around the city, gave each other gifts, probably spent a lot of quality time in Roy's bedroom." At Mia's look, he shrugged. "Kaldur was still in Roy's bed the next morning. I just think we should take all the gifts in stride. Let him get it out of his system."

"Hm…. You got a point. Well, hopefully, Roy's in a better headache when we get home."

Connor nodded in agreement. "Hopefully."

— —

Jade tried not to roll her eyes as she watched Roy. Unfortunately, it wasn't easy because he kept insisting that there should be paper flowers on the table in addition to the real ones. "You know," she said casually as she followed another triangle into her paper. "When I thought about all the things I could learn from an archer and detective of your caliber…origami wasn't on the list."

"I'm a man of many talents," Roy smiled. "These paper flowers will be great on the table during dinner."

"Oh of course." This wasn't weird or over-the-top at all. It was perfectly normal, really. "You go to therapy this weekend, right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"No reason. Just making sure."

Roy smiled as he looked at the small pile of paper flowers on the table. 'They're perfect,' he thought. 'They're amazing. It's so cheesy, but thoughtful. I love it, Kal-' As soon as the thought went through his mind, he swallowed. Without thinking, he knocked all the flowers onto the floor.

"Hey! What're you-" Jade stopped when Roy dropped to the floor and started tearing the flowers into small pieces. "Oh geez…" She sighed, then dropped to the ground in front of him. "Roy. Roy! Hey, hero!" without waiting for an answer, Jade put her hands on his. Roy froze, then slowly lifted his head. "What the hell going on?"

"I-" Roy didn't know what to say. Tears spilled over in his eyes and he let out a sob. "Kal… Last year… He- He made me a hundred of these flowers."

"Why would you make them then?!"

"I don't know!" Roy sat back and ran his hands through his hair. "I just don't know! I can't today, I just can't, Jade! He's gone. He's really gone and I- don't want him to be. I want him back! I want him to hold me and kiss me! I want to hear his voice! For him to laugh or make sarcastic comments under his breath when he thinks no one is listening! He was my best friend, Jade! I- I thought he'd always be by my side, but now he's gone! He's gone!" Roy wrapped his arms around his knees and buried his face as he sobbed. "Can-Can I tell you something?"

"Sure?"

"Sometimes- Sometimes I go through the messages on my phone. I re-read our old conversations. Over and over. Like he's still here."

Jade groaned. "Let me guess, you still have all the pictures of him on there too, right?" When Roy nodded she sighed. "Let me see your phone."

"What?"

"Phone, hero. Now."

Roy slowly handed the phone to her. "Why?"

"Because." Jade deleted the conversation Roy had with Kaldur, then moved on to his photos. "I know you still love, Kaldur'ahm. You have to move on though. Holding on to him like this isn't healthy."

"I don't want to…"

"Well, he's gone, so that's basically your only option."

"It hurts."

"It's called heartache for a reason, lover-boy." There were so many photos of Kaldur on Roy's phone, too many in Jade's opinion, but she deleted all of them. "I know it's hard but it's going to be ok. You'll wake up one day and he'll be nothing but a distant memory."

"I don't want that."

"Yes, you do. Because whether you like it or not, what you had with him is over. He dumped you, broke your heart, and caused a relapse in your mental illness. Even if you cross paths with him, I'm willing to bet you'll never get back what you two had before."

There was a long few seconds when Roy didn't say anything. Eventually, he swallowed and looked at Jade. "He was my best friend…"

"I'm not an expert, Roy, but I'm sure it'll hurt for a while. But you'll get over it. You got over what happened with Oliver Queen. If you can get over that, you can get over anything."

Roy snorted. "I don't know if I'm "over it". If anything my recent behavior suggests otherwise."

"I'd say that's all on Kaldur'ahm at this point. You were fine until that night." When she finished deleting all the photos, Jade pulled up Kaldur's contact, then held the phone out to Roy.

"…I really don't want to-"

"Doesn't matter. Look, you love the guy I get it. But he's not coming back, Roy. He doesn't love you. If he did, then he wouldn't have ended things the way he did. You're never getting back what you had. You've got responsibilities here. You need to take care of yourself to fulfill them, so it's time to move on."

Roy stared at the phone, then slowly nodded. He took a deep breath, then accepted the phone from Jade. 'She's right,' he thought. 'Kal's gone. He's not coming back and even if he did, there's no way I can trust him again. Not the way I did. Jade's right. If he loved me, he wouldn't have done what he did.' So, even though it hurt to think about, even though it still felt like someone had forcibly ripped his heart from his chest, Roy deleted Kaldur's contact. It left a hollow and sad feeling in his chest, but his brain was telling him it was necessary. The two of them sat in silence for a few seconds before Roy quietly said, "Thank you."

"It's nothing." Jade tried to move away, but Roy grabbed her hand. She froze, trying to ignore how her heart pounded in her chest at his calloused fingertips.

"You don't have to do any of this. And I wouldn't expect you to. You know…normally. So, seriously, thank you."

Jade swallowed and jerked her hand away. "I told you it's nothing. I'm just here until you've got all your traumatized ducks in a row. Then we'll be even. Got that, hero?"

"Got it."

"…I'm going for a walk." Without waiting for a reply, Jade grabbed a sweater as she walked out the door. She shoved her hands as deep into the pockets of the sweater as she could while she walked. The pounding in her heart and excited butterflies in her stomach made Jade grit her teeth. 'I'm really a piece of work,' she thought bitterly. 'If there's anyone on Earth who has the worst possible track record, it's me. Runaway from my responsibilities to my sister? Check. Become a dangerous assassin for a shadowy organization? Check. Have to get saved by a hero? Check. Fall in l-' That thought made her stop in her tracks, then scowled at no one in particular (though it still scared a few people around her), before she started walking again. 'Yeah, no way. No way in hell am I in love with a god-damn hero.' That would be insane. It would be idiotic.

'Roy and I are about as different as two people could be,' Jade thought, stepping around a dog. 'He's a hero, I'm not. In fact, I'm the farthest thing from a hero as you can get. I literally kill people for a living. Roy is right up there with the Bat in how serious he takes the "no killing" morality. Which is understandable.' And the fact that she understood, that part of her sympathized with what Roy had gone through, also made her angry. 'I'm a bad guy! I've fought Roy and his friends before! I've actively tried to hurt them! Why should I sympathize with him?' Other than the fact that Roy was a nice and surprisingly understanding person. He had a 'save the world' complex but in the best way. Not from any kind of hubris or desire for glory, like a goddamn normal person. No, it came from his own traumatized past and wanting to help others. Jade groaned.

'It's so infuriating! Why does he have to be so nice and compassionate?! And that way he looks at you! Like he's listening and understands you! Who does that? Why should he even care? Roy has more baggage and issues than any other person I've met. There's no reason someone like him should feel obligated to be so helpful to others. But he does!' And part of Jade was impressed by that! Impressed and attracted because Roy was unlike any other person she'd met. She'd never gotten to know someone who had a heart as good as Roy's. 'It's disgusting. I'm an assassin. A cold-hearted killer. I should leave. Just go back to my own normal life. Before all these…good feelings make me soft.' But she had to stay to make sure her debt to Roy was repaid. And…she liked Roy.

Definitely not in a romantic way, because there was no way she was in love with a hero. No way, definitely not. But he was fun to talk to. He was really passionate about books; surprisingly passionate actually. He was interesting and really smart. There didn't seem to be a topic he couldn't have an insightful conversation about. It was such a difference from the quiet and solitary life of an assassin. 'I bet Roy doesn't really think of me as a friend. Why would he? He's so moral. He despises killing. Why should someone like that be interested in having any kind of relationship with me?' Plus, Jade was going back to her life as an assassin. There was no way she'd be able to maintain any kind of relationship with Roy.

'Not to mention I just had to pull him off the floor after sobbing about his ex. I know I told him to get over it, but it'll be a while before he's over Aqualad.' Well…not Aqualad anymore, but still. 'God only knows how long it'll be before he's ready for something like that. I'll be long gone by then.' So there it was many good reasons why she shouldn't bother with any kind of relationship with Roy. They were from completely different worlds and stood on different sides of the morality line, Roy definitely wouldn't want a killer like her, and she'd be long gone before Roy was ready for another relationship. Several logical and perfectly valid reasons.

And yet Jade couldn't stop thinking about him. The glint in his blue eyes. How his smile had the smallest intricacies to it if you looked hard enough. The way he was so passionate about everything he did and there wasn't a single thing in his life that didn't matter to him. He was attractive and even as an assassin, Jade knew an attractive man when she saw one.

'Doesn't matter,' Jade thought as she pulled the hood of water up to obscure her face. 'There's no way Roy will ever care about me. Not really. I just need to learn to live with it.'

— —

Dinner went off without a hitch, and absolutely no signs of Roy's break down while they were at school. Neither Mia or Connor mentioned how over the top dinner was. They smiled and ate, telling Roy how much they were enjoying the continuous stream of sweets and surprises. No matter how much they thought it all was, seeing the smile on Roy's face when they told him how much they enjoyed it was worth putting up with everything. As usual, Roy turned to offer fro Jade to come to the Arrow Cave with them, but she was gone before he could even get the question out. So they went off without her.

"Hey, Roy," Mia said, smiling mischievously as she out arrows in her quiver. "Can we put like…tennis balls on some of these and play cupid tonight?"

"Absolutely not," Roy said without looking up from the computer.

"Oh come on, it'd be so much fun! What better way to drum up some good publicity for us?"

"You mean other than going around shooting random civilians with arrows that could potentially give them a black eye, or other bruises at the very least?"

"Well, when you say it like that…"

Roy smiled as he stood and stretched. "I was thinking this weekend we'll start working on you guys shooting together."

"We shoot together all the time," Connor said with a frown.

"I mean shooting in tandem. I have some ideas for trick arrows that will only work if you're nothing shooting at the same target at the exact same time."

"Sounds complicated."

"I'm still working out the mechanics, but we'll start tomorrow afternoon. Get dressed so we can keep the streets safe for all the happy couples out there."

Patrol was as normal as they could've expected it to be on Valentine's Day. There were plenty of thieves and muggers praying on couples out and about all over the city. Even though some of the civilians seemed as wary of the vigilantes as the criminals, the three archers did their best to be as un-menacing as possible. By the time the hectic patrol was over, Connor and Mia were exhausted, but there was still one more surprise waiting for them when they got home.

"Do you think he'll be like this next Valentine's Day?" Mia asked as she looked at the heart-shaped box of chocolates on her pillow.

"Mm'mm nnmmm," Connor answered, having already shoved two chocolates in his mouth. He quickly swallowed them. "I don't know."

"I hope not. I mean…everyone likes surprises, but this is a little much." There was a knock on their bedroom door and she leaned over the edge of the top bunk. "Come in!"

"You guys find your last presents?" Roy asked with a smile as he poked his head in.

"Yeah, Connor's already digging into his."

"Good! This is the last surprise of the day, so enjoy it."

"We will," Connor replied. "Thanks, Roy. Everything's been great."

"Yeah, thanks," Mia added. "It's…great." Great. Overwhelming. Causing jittery panic under her skin at the thought of how much Roy could ask from her in exchange for this day alone. Just fine.

"I'm glad you guys liked everything. Sleep tight."

As soon as the door shut, Mia jumped off her bed and went over to the window. She opened it and stuck her head out. "Perfect." The dumpster in the alley was open again, so she dropped the box of chocolates into it.

"Why did you do that?" Connor asked as Mia shut the window.

"Because I didn't want them."

"You could've thrown them away in here."

"Where Roy can see and get super bummed because I didn't want his gift? No thanks."

"Why didn't you want it?"

Mia shrugged as she climbed back onto the top bunk. "I just didn't Connor. He's given me enough. I don't need to owe him anything else."

"Owe him… Mia…you don't owe Roy anything. That's not what it's like here."

"Here… There… Its what it's like everywhere, Connor. I hate to burst your innocent little monk bubble, but people don't just do things to be nice." Not if you were her, anyway.

Connor shook his head. "Not with Roy. I know that's what it's been like for you in the past, but it's not like that here."

Without saying anything, Mia laid down and wrapped herself up in her blankets.

— —

After Connor and Mia went to bed, Roy sat in the living room with Jade. "Here," he said as he handed her a heart-shaped box. "For you."

"No thanks," Jade replied.

"You don't like chocolate?"

"I like it."

"So…" He shook the box a little. "Come on, it's good."

"I don't want it."

"Why not?"

Jade didn't look at him and stayed focused on the tv. "Because I don't have any chocolates for you and if I understand the concept of gifts correctly, its a two-way street."

"It doesn't always have to be. If you have to, think of it as a thank you for earlier. It's important to repay your debts, right?"

"…Right." Very slowly Jade took the box, then opened it. Without saying a word she took a chocolate, then placed the box on the empty cushion between them on the couch.

Roy smiled and took a chocolate for himself. "Happy Valentine's Day, Jade."

"Happy Valentine's Day, hero."


	29. A Difficult Night

A/N: I've officially finished writing this story! Now it's just a matter of posting it all. Here's the next chapter. Enjoy and leave a review to let me know what you think!

[March 2015]

Inhale… Exhale… Inhale… Exhale… Inhale… Exhale…

It was like nothing existed except Roy's breathing. There was nothing to overwhelm him, no problems that needed to be solved. No constant stress, making him wonder if he was half as good at taking care of his kids as he was supposed to be. It was just breathing and sitting. The exercise brought a sense of calm that he usually felt he held a bowstring with his fingertips. 'Maybe I should just become a Buddhist like Connor,' Roy thought as he opened his eyes. 'It seems to work for him.' He looked at the time, then sighed and stretched a little before he stood. He got dressed, then left his bedroom. The first thing he did was check on Connor and Mia, both of whom were still asleep. 'Kind of surprised Connor isn't alt least awake,' he thought, silently shutting the bedroom door so he didn't wake them. 'But their spring break just started, so I guess it makes a little bit of sense.' And he'd let them stay out later the previous night because of this week being the spring break.

When he got the kitchen, Jade was already up and drinking coffee. "Morning," Roy said as he made a cup for himself.

"Morning," Jade mumbled. "Sleep well?"

"Well-enough." He joined her at the table with his coffee. "I've consistently only had one nightmare for the last week though so…progress…"

Jade frowned as she appeared to absent-mindedly stir her coffee. "What was your nightmare about?"

Roy didn't say anything for a few seconds. 'She's never asked about my nightmares before.' While Jade might remind him to take his medicine every night before bed to prevent them, she never asked about what happened when he closed his eyes. Roy took a long sip of his coffee before he answered. "I was in a street and… Kaldur and Ollie were there. Kaldur was on my left with Mia and Ollie was on my right with Connor. They said that- that I had to shoot them or they'd kill the kids but- but I only had one arrow." Roy swallowed and took another deep sip of coffee. "So… I just stood there and I- I wanted to move. Because I'd rather save one of the kids than save neither of them but…"

"But you couldn't choose between them."

Roy just stared at his coffee in response.

"Guess its a good thing it's just a dream then."

"I hope so."

"You hope so? News flash, you haven't heard from or seen Kaldur'ahm in over four months and Oliver Queen is imprisoned on another planet."

"I know but… But I can't help but feel like- like it could happen. Like I'm not doing enough to keep Connor and Mia safe."

"You can't watch them all the time, Roy. The world is a dangerous place."

"Hmmm…. I should spend more time on escape tactics. And hand to hand combat. Archery is our main thing, but they should be good enough to defend themselves."

"You can always improve when it comes to close-range combat."

"Would you- I mean, would you be interested in helping? You're a fantastic fighter in your own right, I'm sure you could teach them a few things."

"A few? Please, I could teach them lots of things."

"So?"

Jade shook her head. "I have no interest in helping with your vigilante crusade."

"But you've helped Mia with her hand-to-hand combat before she became Speedy."

"…That was before. I'd been stabbed and had nothing better to do."

"Uh-huh… Well, I'd really appreciate it. It'd be nice to have someone there to help them improve. A second way of looking at their fighting, especially a well-trained eye, can help find weaknesses and gaps in their skills that I might miss."

Jade rolled her eyes. "You're really something, you know that." She took a deep sip of her coffee. "Answer's still no."

"Please, Jade? The kids would love it."

"Mia might. Connor still looks at me like I'm going to attack him."

"He's a little difficult to get to know sometimes."

"Mhm…" And she was willing to bet it was even harder when you were a confirmed killer. 'Connor won't even eat meat. I'm sure the idea of an assassin isn't exactly in line with his values.' Which definitely wasn't her problem. She didn't care what these teenagers thought about her. Except maybe Mia. The girl had a lot of potential and attitude. It was kind of endearing.

"Come on, Jade. Its gotta be better than just sitting in here all day."

"…Fine. But not because I want to. Just because I'm bored."

"Whatever works." After he finished his coffee, Roy started some breakfast hoping the smell would wake-up Connor and Mia. Sure enough, his plan worked and within half an hour, the two teens were out of bed. "Nice to see you sleeping in, Connor," Roy said as he fried bacon and tofu.

"I was really tired," Connor said in his own defense. "We had to run like…20 blocks last night! Why did everyone have to run away?"

"Would you rather they give you another black eye?" Mia asked.

"Don't mention it…" Connor's pride was still hurt about the lucky punch a mugger had landed on him.

"Just be grateful you've got a week before you go back to school," Roy said as he placed their plates in front of them. "I'd hate to send you with a nasty bruise like that."

"Just tell people you got in a fight," Mia said. "Or you walked into a door."

"Walls work too," Jade added almost absent-mindedly.

"That's enough," Roy said quickly. "Connor doesn't need to worry about lying about his black eye. Eat up you tow, we're spending the day at the Cave."

"What's happening at the Quiver?" Mia asked.

"It's not- We're working on escape tactics and increasing your hand-to-hand combat."

"Does that mean I get to kick Connor's ass all day?"

"Language."

"And you're not kicking my…butt," Connor added. "You never do."

"I've beaten you before!"

"Name one time."

"…That proves nothing. I can still take you."

Roy shook his head with a small smile and focused on his breakfast knowing he had a long day ahead.

— —

When they got to the Cave, Jade basically pushed Roy aside and stepped in front of Connor and Mia. "Ok, kiddies," she said, crossing her arms. "We're going to work on evasive maneuvers. Grab your bows, Mia on my left, Connor, my right. When you're ready I want you two to attack me. Got it?"

Mia and Connor looked at each other, then at Roy. He gave them an encouraging nod, so they went to relieve their bows.

"Do you need me to do anything?" Roy asked.

"Nope. You said you wanted me to train them, so step back and let me work."

"Ok. I'll be over here working on trick arrows. Just don't…break them. Ok?" Roy went to his work station and pulled out his latest blueprints.

Meanwhile, Connor and Mia lined up on either side of Jade. They waited a second, then ran at her. Jade stepped back and grabbed Connor's arm. He kicked at her leg, but she twisted his arm behind his back at the same moment. It threw him off balance long enough for her to bodily move him. Connor grunted when Mia ran into him. Then he fell on her when Jade let go of his arm.

"What did you learn?" Jade asked.

"Don't attack you?" Mia offered.

"No. Evasive tactics are useful when you're outnumbered. It's not about strength or skill, its about stealth and speed. If you're sneaky and light on your feet, you can escape anyone. No matter how outnumbered you are. Got it?"

"Got it."

"Connor?"

"Got it," Connor replied.

"Good. Now, get up. We're going to work on your speed."

Every few minutes, Roy glanced up to make sure Connor and Mia were ok. They moved quickly to avoid Jade's blows as she came at them. Not quick enough though. The teens took turns, nursing their budding bruises when they were able to rest. Jade was a lot faster than either of them though. Every few seconds a blow landed on one of the teens. 'Please don't hurt them too much, Jade,' he thought as a punch landed on Mia's shoulder. She stumbled back to the floor, then jumped back to her feet and sidestepped her attacker.

"Stay on your toes, Mia," Jade said as she thew another punch. "Literally on your toes."

"It's- ah!" Mia landed on her back and sighed. "It's hard to balance on my toes."

"You'll learn. Connor, let's go."

Connor sighed quietly and Mia gave him a small side-five as they switched places. He held his bow tightly in his hand, then shifted his weight to his toes. He dodged from left to right, avoiding Jade's punches as quick as he could. Even though he wasn't supposed to block, he used his bow to redirect a couple of blows. Every once in a while, a punch or kick landed, and he grit his teeth. Connor lasted longer than Mia had, but eventually, he too was knocked flat on his back.

"Not bad," Jade admitted. "Rest for a few minutes, then you and Mia will work on avoidance with each other."

"Sore?" Mia asked with a smirk as Connor sat next to her on the floor.

"Yeah…. She's tough."

"Well, she's an assassin, so…."

Roy looked up from his work and smiled at the two teens. "You guys holding up ok?" he asked.

"Doing great."

"Don't tire them out too much, Jade. They need to be able to walk to go on patrol tonight."

"They'll be fine," Jade told him. "I'll make sure they have plenty of time to rest before you guys patrol." She turned to the teens. "Get up you two. Time to practice on each other."

They spent the rest of the morning practicing until lunch. Connor and Mia looked relieved when Roy finally said they needed to go home. The number of bruises on the teens concerned Roy, sending waves of discomfort through him. He knew it was just from training. That Jade wasn't purposefully trying to hurt the kids; that she was doing exactly what he'd asked. Pushing Connor and Mia so they'd get better and he didn't have to worry about them as much. But that didn't mean it wasn't difficult for him to see. It didn't stop his brain from bringing up images of his own body covered in bruises. The look on his face must've been obvious to Jade because she rolled her eyes at him.

"They're fine, Roy," she said as the four walked back to the Cave after lunch. "I wouldn't purposefully try to hurt them."

"I know it's- It's still hard."

"Just breathe and let me work. You wanted me to help them, right?"

"…Yeah."

"Then trust me."

Her words made him stop. Because it didn't matter how many years it had been, hearing those words made Roy freeze every time. Anyone who would demand loyalty to him was a threat as far as his subconscious was concerned. 'Except Jade didn't demand trust,' he thought. 'In fact…she's been doing the exact opposite for months. She's the one who didn't trust me originally. I had to let her get used to me.' And he did trust Jade. Even though she was an assassin and had been on the opposing side for years. So he nodded and started walking again. "Ok," he said quietly. "I trust you."

The admission seemed to take Jade by surprise for a moment, then she nodded.

'Please don't make me regret this.' Roy winced. 'I've already been hurt by too many people I trusted. Please don't make me regret this.'

— —

True to her word, Jade let Connor and Mia rest before patrol that night. They were well-rested and ready to go when it was time to suit up. Their night started off slow, with only a few teenagers that were easily spooked by the presence of vigilantes. Red Arrow was just about to suggest they go to a different neighborhood when they heard a gunshot. "I'll go check it out!" he said, shooting a zip-line down the block. "Stay here and keep watch in case something happens."

"But-" Speedy began, but he jumped off the building and slid down it on his bow before she could finish. "Great… We spend all day working on our skills to stay up here and play look-out."

"Being the look-out is important, Speedy," Green Arrow said as he knelt on the edge of the rooftop. They couldn't see where Red Arrow had run off to, so all he could do was watch the street and hope for the best.

"You've been doing this for a year. I know the only reason he left you here with me is because I've been doing it for two months."

"You'll get there, Speedy. It just takes time."

Speedy rolled her eyes and opened her mouth again, but movement on the street made her drop next to Green Arrow. Six men came running onto the street from a side-street, the same direction Red Arrow had disappeared in. "Wonder what they're doing?" The men didn't stick around because they took off down another side-street, right next to the building where the two archers were. "Let's follow them!"

"But Red said to stay here. We can tell him where they went when he gets back."

"They might be long gone by then! Come on, it's just six guys. We can take them easily."

"But-"

"Come on, GA! You know we can take them. Don't you want to be a great hero?"

Green Arrow hesitated. "I mean… Yeah…"

"Then come on! You'll never be a great hero if you sit here and play lookout all the time."

"…Ok. Let's get them." Green Arrow followed Speedy across the rooftop and down to the street. They ran in the direction they'd seen the men go. The side street led to another street. It was dark and silent. "Where did they go?"

Speedy nodded her head to their left. "Let's check out that parking lot." They ventured down the street and hid in a shadow on the edge of the parking lot. "Found them."

Green Arrow nodded and shushed her quietly. Three of the men were standing around a car, talking to each other. In the dim shades of the car lights, they could see guns on the men's hips. "Why are there only three?"

"Maybe the others took off?"

"Maybe-" The soft click of a gun behind him made Green Arrow freeze. He took a shallow breath, then grabbed Speedy's arm, and leaped forward.

"What the-" Speedy grunted as she hit the ground.

"Move!" Green Arrow rolled away just as a bullet hit the ground right where he'd been. He somersaulted backward to his feet, but as soon as he was standing, his back hit something solid. He looked up and saw it was one of the men. Fear shot through him, pushing him to step away and spin on his heel. He kicked the man in the stomach, but it barely seemed to wind him. The man grabbed at him, but Green Arrow sidestepped to avoid him. Another gunshot rang past his ear and he flinched away. Unfortunately, that distracted him just long enough for the other man to grab his wrist. Green Arrow tried to break the hold, but this guy was basically just a wall of muscle and had at least a foot of height on the teen. Green Arrow hit the man with his bow, but he barely seemed to care. His other hand grabbed the bow and twisted it roughly. "Ah!" Green Arrow gasped as pain shot through his wrist, forcing him to drop his bow.

The man wrenched Green Arrow's arm behind his back, pulling the teen off balance. Something hard hit his head and Green Arrow stumbled in pain. He was off-balance long enough for the man to hit him in the head again. Pain shot through his head and everything went back for two seconds. Two seconds was just long enough for one of the men pin him to the ground though. Through the headache, Green Arrow could see Speedy pinned to the ground in the same way ten feet away. Unfortunately, the pain was making it difficult for him to think, so he couldn't do more than blink blearily. One of the men went through his utility belt, judging by the sound of the movements, and next time he blinked, Green Arrow's hands were zip-tied behind him.

'…Well…' he thought as two strong hands grabbed his arms and dragged him. 'This isn't good…' He closed his eyes for a second and tried to meditate enough to forget about the pain. Just so he could think and get the out of there. 'Roy told me to watch Mia's back! I have to get her out of here!' Unfortunately, the hands disappeared and he dropped unceremoniously to the ground. Green Arrow was momentarily winded and rolled into his side coughing.

"What's this?" a voice asked.

"These two were hanging around in the shadows," another replied. As soon as Green Arrow rolled back onto his stomach, someone stomped on his back, making him yelp. "Think they're following us."

"Red Arrow with 'em?"

"Nah. We shook him off back at the warehouse. What'd we do with them?"

"I say shoot 'em and leave 'em for the archer to find," a third voice added.

"No," the first voice cut in. "Let's bring 'em back with us. I want to know what the archer does. Throw 'em in the back and let's get out of here."

The feet moved away from Green Arrow's line of vision and the next thing he knew, hands lifted him up. The pain had subsided, so he kicked out at the men, but they simply shoved him into the trunk of the car. He tried to sit up, but a second later Speedy was thrown on top of him. They both grunted and a second later the lid of the trunk closed.

Speedy rolled off Green Arrow and sighed. "G-GA…," she asked, voice shaking.

"I'm here…" Green Arrow whispered back. "Are you ok?"

"Roughed up…"

"Same." The car started and the archers felt their stomachs drop.

"R-Red can find us… Right…?"

The palpable fear in Speedy's voice was unnerving. "Of course… Of course, he will. Red…he's the best, right? No one can beat him…"

"Right…" Green Arrow closed his eyes for a moment trying to ignore the way the bumps in the road made his head hit the carpet beneath him. 'I can't undo the zip-ties. Maybe they'll take them off when we get wherever we're going.' Before they killed them. Cold dread gripped his stomach, but Green Arrow forced himself to breathe slowly and deeply. 'No. No, I can't panic. I told Roy I'd look out for Mia, and I will. We don't have our bows, but we still have our quivers. If I can get untied, I should be able to use the electroshock arrows as tasers. These guys are big, but we should be able to get away.' His comm was gone and was willing to bet Speedy's was too, but they could find Red Arrow. At the very least they could find their way back to the Quiver and contact him from there.'

"What's going to happen to us?"

"Nothing. Nothing, we'll be fine. We just have to stay calm and breathe. Ok. Just breathe."

"Ok…" That sounded like some zen-nonsense to her, but she didn't have a better plan, so she breathed.

— —

When the car eventually stopped, both archers tensed. They could hear the car doors opening, then closing. Muffled voices talked as they got closer to the trunk. A few seconds later, the lid opened. Two men grabbed Speedy and dragged her out; then did the same with Green Arrow. As soon as his feet hit the ground, he tried to get free, but the hands gripped him too tightly. Green Arrow looked around as they were dragged toward an ancient-looking elevator. It seemed like they were an underground parking garage. The walls were cement and the faint lines of parking spaces could still be made out. The elevator doors opened and the men dragged them inside. They kept Green Arrow and Speedy against opposite walls the whole ride up. Two men stood apart from the rest, talking quietly to each other and apparently unconcerned with the two teens.

When the doors opened, the two men exited, then the vigilantes were dragged out after them. The building looked abandoned. All the windows were boarded up and nothing but a couple of bare light bulbs light the space. There was no furniture, just crates lined against the walls.

"Tie them up," one of the two men said.

Green Arrow recognized him as the first voice from earlier. He tensed as a gun was pressed right against the back of his head, then a second later the zip tie was cut away. His relief didn't last long though, because they removed his quiver, then his hands were tied behind him. The gun moved to the side of his head and they forced him to sit not he ground. A second later, Speedy's back was forced against his. 'Looks like they took her quiver too,' he thought. The men tied them to each other, then stepped away.

"I take it you guys are professionals at kidnapping teenagers," Speedy said casually.

"Speedy…be quiet…" Green Arrow muttered. The last thing he wanted was for these guys to get angry with them. They were already in a precarious position.

"What? It's not a judgment. Just an observation."

"I doubt you kids have room to be judging us," the first man said. A hand settled on Green Arrow's head and he grimaced. "After all, you named yourselves after Star's most notorious killers. The first Green Arrow killed my father. Did you know that? Probably not, it was long before your kids were born. He killed my older brothers too. Both of them. Speedy helped. The police found arrows in their knees. Your mentor was an accomplice to murder."

"You- You don't know that!"

"I do. It's not like we have proof, but we've only known one red-haired archer who can shoot like that around here. Speedy disappeared off the streets one day— to be honest, I thought the kid was dead— and years later Red Arrow pops up. Now, I dropped out of school when I was 16, but even I know that isn't a coincidence." His phone rang, so he pet Green Arrow on the head, then moved away.

"Looks like Red has quite the reputation," Speedy whispered. None of the men were paying attention to them. One was listening in on the phone call and the other four were spread out around the room, looking through the crates.

"Not one he wants," Green Arrow replied quietly.

Speedy frowned as the other vigilante wiggled and bumped his head against hers. "Will you stop? You've been doing that since Bad Guy Alpha over there started monologuing."

"Not sure that…counts…as a monologue…"

"What are you doing?!"

"Shhh! I'm trying to untie the knots."

"You had a plan to get us out of here and didn't feel lie sharing with me?!"

"Speedy, hush!" Green Arrow focused on the knot dune this fingers. "I don't want the bad guys to notice. Do you see our quivers?"

"Yeah…"

"Good. When we're free, I'll draw their attention. Get your quiver and grab the electroshock arrows."

"There's a problem at Warehouse 3," Bad Guy Alpha said. "We'll be back. Keep an eye on them and don't let them escape. Break some legs if you have to."

"Bet he's a real hit with the ladies," Speedy whispered as two of the men left in the elevator.

"Shhh," Green Arrow hushed. "Let me work." He got one of the knots loose enough to undo it, then moved on to the next one. Thankfully, his Buddhist training allowed him to keep his entire body perfectly still while his fingers worked. 'Bet Master Jensen didn't have this in mind when he was teaching me how to meditate.' Every once in a while he had to move around to get a knot undone, but for the most part, he kept himself still. Thankfully, the men didn't seem too bothered with actually watching them. 'They're underestimating us. Good. That'll help.' Eventually, after way too long, he finally felt the ropes around his wrists loosen. "Speedy. Can you move your hands?" There was some movement behind him, then he felt Speedy's arms move away from his.

"We're good…"

"Ok. Wait for my signal." Green Arrow kept working, forcing himself to move slowly and methodically, despite the anticipation that was bubbling under his skin. They were still a long way from freedom, but getting untied was the first major hurdle. When the ropes finally fell off their wrists. Green Arrow took a deep breath, then somersaulted forward and shot to his feet. "Speedy now!" He jumped at one of the men and wrapped an arm around his neck when he landed on the man's back. The surprise of his attack let him pull the man to the ground, then he moved back. Another man came at him, but ducked under his arms and punched him twice in the stomach. Green Arrow landed a hard kick against the man's knee to bring him down. Something hit him in the back, but he rolled with the momentum, then kicked the man in the head.

"GA down!" Speedy yelled.

Green Arrow hit the ground just as his partner stabbed an arrow into the man behind him. The shock stunned him the man collapsed. "Good shot." Something hit the boards outside the window next to them and he frowned. A distant beeping reached him and he reacted without thinking. He grabbed Speedy and pulled her down next to him just as the boards exploded. Wood and glass rained down in the room. When Green Arrow and Speedy lifted their head, relief filled them when they saw their mentor.

Without saying anything, Red Arrow fired three electroshock arrows into the other men before they react. They all dropped like stones and he waited just long enough to make sure they were down before he moved to the teens. "Are you guys ok?" he asked, voice filled with worry.

"We're ok," Green Arrow said. "A little roughed up, but nothing too severe."

"Let's go back to the Cave. I have your bows and bike down in the alley." Without another word, he moved to the window.

"…He's mad, isn't he?" Speedy asked an undercurrent of fear in her voice.

"Oh for sure," Green Arrow replied. When he saw the look of uncertainty on Speedy's face, he reached out and squeezed her hand gently. "It'll be ok. Come on."

"Ok…"

— —

When they got back to the Cave, Roy made them change out of their suits before they did anything else. Once they did, he nodded hoo head at the cot in the med area. Connor looked at Mia, who swallowed and seemed to shrink back a little, so he gave her a small smile and held out his hand. There was a moment of hesitation before she silently took it. He led her to the cot and they sat on it together.

"What happened?" Roy asked as he started giving Connor a check-up. As he worked Connor relayed the events of the day. Every bruise and bump on the teen made him grimace. He moved on to Mia, who was also bruised from head to toe. Eventually, Connor stopped taking and Roy had to step back with a sigh. "Other than some bumps on the head, you're fine. So, with that in mind, what the hell were you two thinking?"

"That we…wanted to get the bad guys."

"I told you guys to say on that rooftop. I said to wait for me." Roy started pacing back and forth, rubbing the heels of his palms into his eyes. "Do you have any idea how worried I was when I got back and you were gone?! How fried I was that something had happened to you?! I couldn't find you and I couldn't reach you on the comms! Then I find your bows and you guys are just gone! Do you have any idea what could've happened?!"

"Well… We got ourselves free…"

"Connor, they had you. If they hadn't wanted information from you they could've shot you dead and there wasn't a damn thing you guys could've done about it! And if I hadn't drawn them away then they would've- Oh God…" Roy kept pacing silently for a few seconds. "You guys have to listen to me. I don't give you these orders because I don't trust you, or because I don't think you're capable. I'm doing it to protect you. When we're out there, it's your necks on the line because of me. If anything thing happens… That's on me…" Roy sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose for a few seconds. "I need you guys to listen. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Connor and Mia said at the same time.

"Good. You guys are grounded for the rest of spring break. No tv, no going anywhere. You'll sit in your room and think about why you need to listen to me. And you're benched for two weeks. Understand?"

"Yes."

"Ok." Roy let out a sad sigh, then suddenly moved toward them. Mia flinched back as he pulled both of them into a hug. "I was so worried about you guys…" he whispered after a few seconds. "If anything happened to you…"

"We're ok," Connor muttered. "We're ok, Roy."

"I know. I know. You guys are here. You're here, you're safe." He took a deep breath then released them. "Let's go home. You guys should get to bed."

Despite it being several hours earlier than their normal bedtime, they didn't argue. Mia wrapped her arms around her body as they walked home. 'That's really it?' she thought. 'He just…grounds us and says we can't go out at night and it's just…it? That's all?' Logically, she knew Roy wouldn't get…physical with them. He literally suffered from PTSD because of abuse. But it was still hard to believe. 'No one- No one's never not gotten physical with me. My father…Richard…no one.' Looked like Roy would break that chain. 'I mean, I've never done anything as stupid as what we did tonight and he didn't even seem to think about hitting us.' It was…reassuring. Almost.

When they got home, Connor and Mia got ready for bed. They got a strange look from Jade at how early they were, but she didn't ask.

"That guy really knew a lot about Roy," Mia observed as she brushed her hair, sitting on Connor's bed. She was in her pajamas, watching Connor, who appeared to be meditating.

"He knew a lot about Speedy," Connor corrected as he opened his eyes.

"Do you think Roy thinks about it? You know…what happened when we worked with Oliver Queen."

"I think he thinks about it every time civilians run away from him. And every time someone thinks he's going to kill them. And every time the police shoot at him."

"Its…sad, don't you think. All the good he does, how dedicated he is to helping people, and those two years he spent as Speedy are…attached to him. They just follow him everywhere."

"Yeah…"

Mia looked at the floor, playing with her hairbrush. "Thanks for staying so calm today."

"Well…calm is kind of my thing."

"Sometimes I find it annoying, but today it was useful."

"Glad I could be useful."

Mia smiled as she put her hairbrush on her desk, then climbed onto the top bunk. "Night, partner."

"Night. Partner."

— —

Later that night, Jade found Roy outside Connor and Mia's bedroom. She sat next to him silently. "What happened?" she asked.

"They could've been killed," Roy whispered.

"Well, that tends to come with the territory."

"Yeah…"

"You going to sleep?"

"No…"

"Ok. Then don't go to work tomorrow."

"Deal."

Jade nodded, then placed a prescription bottle in Roy's hand. "Just in case." She left him alone in the hall, knowing he should sleep, but also knowing that she needed to let him deal with this in his own way. 'I don't know if he'd admit it but damn, does he love those kids.'


	30. Happy Birthday, Mia

A/N: Time for the next update! Leave a review to let me know what you think!

[April 2015]

"So," Roy said as he leaned next to Connor. "Mia's birthday is tomorrow."

"I know," Connor said, pausing in his science homework.

"Do you think we should make her a cake, or buy her one?"

"…Ask Mia, I guess."

"Ask me what?" Mia asked as she walked into the kitchen.

"For your birthday tomorrow, do you want a store-bought cake, or would you prefer Connor, and I attempted to make one?"

Mia stooped and stared at Roy. "A cake… For…my birthday?"

"Yeah. And I need to know what you want to have for dinner tomorrow. Preferably something with a vegetarian option."

"Uh…doesn't really matter to me."

"Anything you want, Mia. Anything at all."

"…That eggplant parmesan we had for Connor's birthday?" When Connor smiled at her she threw a nearby oven mitt at him. "Shut up! It was good, ok?"

"Are you sure that's what you want?"

"Yeah. and garlic bread."

"I know a good recipe," Connor added. "We made it at the monetary."

"Ok," Roy conceded. "What about that cake?"

"…I don't really care," Mia said. "You two do whatever." She left the kitchen with a bottle of water before Roy could say anything else.

"Ok… Guess we'll make her one, then. She seemed pretty excited to make your cake, so maybe she likes homemade things. Come on, let's go shopping."

"Why do I have to come?" Connor asked as he put his homework away.

"She's your roommate. I need you to pick out the cake stuff."

"Ok. Have you gotten her gift yet?"

"Yes. Don't worry, I got that covered. Come on, if we hurry we'll have time to work on the cake before patrol tonight since we won't have a lot of time tomorrow."

"Got it."

— —

Later that night, a sweet smell lured Mia out of her bedroom. She wandered into the kitchen and stopped in the doorway. "What're you guys doing?"

"Making your cake," Roy said. "It smells good, so I think we nailed it."

"We still have to frost it," Connor added. "And decorate it."

Mia walked slowly over to the cake and stared at it. "You guys… You made me a birthday cake?"

"Didn't even burn it." Connor frowned when he saw the look on Mia's face. It looked like there was a film of tears over her eyes. "Are- Are you crying?" He groaned when she elbowed him in the ribs.

"Shut up!"

"Is everything ok, Mia?" Roy asked, concerned.

"I'm fine. Connor's just being an idiot." She quickly wiped at her eyes, hoping no one would really notice. "It… It looks great, Roy."

"Glad you think so. Connor, can you start cutting vegetables for dinner tonight? We'll frost and decorate the cake after. It should be cool enough by then."

"I have…homework…" Mia wandered out of the kitchen, but not before glancing back at the cake. She tried to focus on her homework, she really did. School was ending in a month and she had to pass English if she wanted to move on to high school. But her mind kept wandering. 'I shouldn't worry about it,' she thought. 'My birthday's never been anything special. Which is fine because it's not like I've ever been anything special either.' Everything people had seemed to like about her wasn't all that different from other girls. So Mia forced herself to do her homework until it was dinner time. All through dinner, she tried not to keep looking at the cake, but it was hard. It was like the treat was magnetic, drawing her gaze every few minutes.

"Do you want to help us decorate it?" Roy offered when dinner was over. "It is your cake after all."

"You're gonna make the girl decorate her own cake?" Jade asked. "I thought you were all about being chivalrous, hero."

"I was just trying to be nice! Connor and I can take care of it if you girls want to…brush your hair or…whatever until we leave tonight."

"I have to finish my homework," Mia said quietly. She left the kitchen, glancing at the cake one more time as she left. There was still half an English assignment to finish and her science homework. And passing 8th grade was more important than having what was probably going to be another disappointing birthday. She didn't even try to entertain the voice in her head that suggested this year it would be different. 'It's never worth getting my hopes up for. I thought things would be better when I was on the streets. I thought they'd be different with Richard. Why should I believe things will be different here?' Thankfully, she had her homework done in time for patrol. She wandered out of her bedroom and into the kitchen. The cake was now covered in pink frosting and yellow, hard candies in the shape of arrows. It wasn't fancy, or even comparable to a professional cake by a long shot, but the sight of it gave her a strange feeling in her chest.

"What'd you think?" Roy asked, clearly proud of himself. "I think it looks pretty tasty if I say so myself."

"…It's fine…" Mia almost whispered. She cleared voice quietly. "It's you know…a cake…"

"Glad for that. Ok, let's go patrol."

"You ok?" Connor asked, recognizing how uncertain and almost upset Mia seemed.

"Shut up," she said, elbowing him again.

"Off! Fine, fine. You violent on your birthday- ouch!"

"Play nice," Roy said without looking back at them.

"It's not me, it's Mia- Ouch! Stop!"

"Mia can't get in trouble, it's her birthday."

"That's not fair…" Connor stepped away from Mia before she could elbow him again. "Ha!"

Mia rolled her eyes and shoved her hands into her pockets. She was happy that the weather had taken a turn for the warm. It took some of the fun out of patrol when she had to shoot a bow with cold hands. Although the downside was the coming warmth seemed to be bringing out more criminals. 'It's like they're coming out of hibernation.' Which made for an exciting, but very busy patrol. "Can Connor and I-"

"No," Roy said.

"You didn't even let me ask!" She paused, but Roy didn't say anything, so she kept going. "Can we patrol on our own-"

"No."

"But it's my birthday!"

"Answer's still no, Mia. It's not safe."

'What's safe about fighting crime?' Mia looked at Connor, but he just shrugged. "You're no help."

"Uh-huh," Connor hummed. He smiled a little when she elbowed him again.

— —

The next morning, when Mia woke up, the first thing she did was go to the kitchen. Roy wasn't there yet, so she wandered up to the cake. 'It's still here,' she thought. 'Good. Then I can eat it tonight.' She went back to her room to get dressed for school. By the time she was ready, Connor had returned.

"Happy Birthday," he said with a smile.

"Thanks." A thought crossed her mind and she smirked at him. "Guess this means I'm older than you now."

"Only for 3 months!"

"Still counts."

"Not really."

"Whatever. Come on, little brother."

Connor sighed but didn't say anything as he followed her to the kitchen.

"Morning, Mia," Roy said as they walked in. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gave her a quick side hug. "I made muffins."

"Yes!" Mia smiled. She sat down and snatched two off the plate.

"Why the long face, Connor?"

"He's mad because I'm older than him now."

"By 3 months, it doesn't- Oh, never mind," Connor sighed as he grabbed a muffin for himself.

"Happy Birthday, kid," Jade said as she grabbed a muffin, then left the kitchen.

'Nice to see she cares,' Mia thought.

"Are you guys still walking to school?" Roy asked.

"Yes. Obviously."

"Ok. We'll celebrate before patrol tonight."

"…Ok. Sounds good." Mia focused on her muffins. 'Why does he have to do more? Just the muffins and the cake is enough.' They'd done more for Connor's birthday, but that was different. He was Connor. Roy's perfect, monk-boy who never caused trouble and always did what Roy said. It was no wonder he'd gotten to have a good birthday. 'But today is already better than any birthday I've ever had, so can't really complain.' Plus, she didn't know how she would deal with it if Roy just kept giving her things. She glanced at the clock, then elbowed Connor. "Let's go." At least she had school to keep her distracted during the day.

— —

After school, Connor waited for Mia by the gate. When she joined him, they started walking home. "How was your day?" he asked.

"Fine. My art class sang happy birthday to me," Mia said.

"That's nice. I still kind of miss the other novices signing to me in the dorms after we went to bed."

"This was at the monetary?"

"Oh, yeah."

"You still miss it even though you've been living with Roy for like…a year and a half?"

"Of course. Living with Roy is great and all but…Arsham will always feel like home."

"Must be nice."

Connor winced. Heck of a subject to touch on Mia's birthday. "I mean, yeah, but this is your home, isn't it?"

"What'd you mean?"

"Well… You've been living with us for almost a year. And you're still here, aren't you?"

Mia almost stopped in shock. 'Has it been a year?' It felt like no time and a long time simultaneously. 'I've really survived almost a whole year as a normal teenager? It's really been that long since I've worked the streets?' Something inside her was almost…disappointed by that. Like it was saddened by this revelation. But another, much larger part, was thrilled. Why shouldn't she be happy? Hadn't she been waiting for everything to go bad for months? Yet here she was, almost a year into it, and it was still good. Everything was still good. Mia wrapped her fingers around the straps of her backpack. 'If I've been living here a year…then that means…Richard never came for me.' It marked a year since she'd seen him and there had been no word. Nothing at all. Some small part of Mia was hurt at the apparent betrayal. After all, he'd said he loved her, but he'd abandoned her at the first available opportunity. 'I'm not even sure if I miss him anymore. It's been so long since I've seen him and…everything's different now.

'I'm back in school and I'm not totally failing at it. And it doesn't totally suck either. It's nice just being able to talk to other people my age and no even knows about my past. They can't even tell I'm HIV positive. And I'm a vigilante now too. Which is totally amazing because it's like…the first worthwhile thing I've ever done with my life. I also don't suck at it. I'm not as good as Roy, or even Connor some nights but I still help people. I'm still making a difference. Which is far more than I was doing before.' All of it was more than she'd ever done before. Suddenly, almost without reason, Mia felt like there was a chance for something better. She could see a future that wasn't a complete wasteland.

There was a very real chance she'd go to high school, then graduate and have a diploma.

She could be a vigilante for years, getting better and better until she was as good as Roy and saving people every day.

'Damn… Who knew my life could change so much in a year…'

"Uh…Mia," Connor ventured quietly. "Are you ok? You haven't said anything in a while."

"I'm fine, Connor. Just…thinking."

"Oh."

"…You don't want to know what it's about?"

"I always want to know, but it's hit or miss with you sharing, so I figure if you want to tell me then you will."

Mia raised an eyebrow. "You always want to know?"

"Of course. I mean we're…friends, aren't we?"

"Guess we are." They were definitely more than just roommates at this point. Friends, partners. Hell, besides Roy, Mia couldn't think of a person she trusted more besides Connor. In some ways, he even surpassed their guardian. "I was just thinking about how much my life has changed since last year."

"Crazy, huh?"

"Very." Mia was quiet for a moment. "Did you feel the same way when you'd been living with Roy for a year?"

Connor didn't answer her right away. "It's different for me. There was so much going on in the months before I got here and when I did… It's just different, you know?"

"If you had the chance to go back to the monastery, would you?"

"…Probably not. I mean, it'll always be my home, but I like my life here. I like being a hero and helping people." And he liked knowing he was actively working against becoming his father. Connor didn't want to tell Mia that though. She had enough on her plate. "I'm glad you're here though."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I wasn't thrilled about it at first, because I thought that with you being here, Roy might get rid of me."

"Why would he get rid of you?"

"Because I thought if he found two teenagers to be too difficult, he'd prefer to keep you over me."

Mia scoffed and rolled her eyes. "That's dumb. Roy would never get rid of you. You're basically his golden child."

"Me? Please, he can't even stay to look at me sometimes."

"Yeah, but…that's not your fault."

"My fault or not, it still happens."

Mia didn't really know what to say about that. 'Connor would stay here. Even though things are weird between him and Roy, he wants to stay here. If he can stay despite all the weirdness caused by the stuff he can't control.' So if Connor could do, why couldn't she? Unfortunately, the thought was quickly banished from her mind.

— —

When they got home, Mia decided to do her homework in the kitchen. Connor joined her and noticed the way she kept glancing at the cake on the counter, but didn't say anything. The tow of them worked silently, Mia trying to contain her own anticipation. Her birthdays had never been anything special, but the cake was still there, so part of her brain couldn't help but get excited.

"Hey birthday girl," Roy said when he got home from work. He ruffled the top of Mia's hair a little. "How was school?"

"It was school," Mia answered. "Nothing special."

"Connor?"

"Same for me," Connor answered without looking up from his homework.

"Good to know. I have to look over a few cases, but when I finish that I'll start dinner. We can do presents after dinner and cake after patrol tonight. Sound good?"

"…Yeah," Mia answer quickly, trying to keep the uncertainty out of her voice. "Sounds great."

Roy picked up on the change in tone and shifted on his feet a little, but didn't say anything. 'She gets so defensive when I ask and I don't want to upset her on her birthday.' So he let it go. "Make sure your homework gets done."

"Uh-huh."

After Roy left, Connor waited a few seconds and mulled his question over in his head before he spoke. "It's making you nervous, isn't it?" he asked quietly as if Roy would be listening just around the corner. "The presents?"

"…Yeah. Good guess."

"Just an observation. Why don't you like presents?"

Mia shrugged, throng to focus on her science homework. "Because I do."

"Alright. If you don't want to talk about it, I won't ask. But…Roy just wants to do something nice for you. He just wants to show he cares." He didn't get a response, but that didn't bother him. It wasn't like he was expecting one anyway.

'Nobody just gives you stuff to be nice,' Mia thought bitterly. 'Everybody wants something.' She tried not to let the prospect of gifts ruin her excitement for cake though. No matter what happened later, it would be worth it just to have her own birthday cake. Thankfully, homework didn't take long. As soon as Mia finished she landed over the table at Connor. "You're not done yet?"

"Nope…"

Mia rolled her eyes and sat back in her chair. "You're slow."

"I'm thorough."

Roy walked into the kitchen and ruffled the top of Mia's hair again. "You guys ready to eat?"

"Yes!" Mia answered excitedly. "I'm starving!"

"Perfect."

It was quiet for a few minutes as Mia watched Roy get dinner ready. As soon as Connor finished his homework, he got up and started slicing eggplants. Something stirred inside Mia, something she wasn't really familiar with. There was just this…ease with how Connor and Roy moved around each other as they cooked. Despite Connor's earlier instance that Roy didn't want him around, there was a familiarity with the scene. It was…nice. Familial. Desire bubbled up inside her. "Can I help?"

"You don't have to help. It's your birthday."

"Well- Maybe I want to help." Mia crossed her arms and added a touch of defiance to her voice; hoping to hide how much she really wanted to do it.

"OK. Well, you can help Connor with the eggplant."

Connor gave Mia a strange look as she grabbed a knife and joined him. 'She never wants to help cook,' he thought. 'Oh well. It's her birthday, guess she can do whatever she wants.'

The three of them cooked Mia's birthday dinner together. By the time it was done, Jade was walking into the kitchen. "You're making the birthday girl cook her own dinner?" she asked as she sat at the table. "I thought you were all about that chivalry thing, hero."

"Mia wanted to help," Roy said as he brought his and Jade's plates over. Connor and Mia joined them at the table.

Jade snorted a little. "How many archers does it take to make dinner?"

"There's nothing wrong with doing things together as a- well…you know…"

Dinner was over pretty quickly. Mia ate fast, trying not to make it obvious though. She was still the first one done though and waited eagerly for everyone else to finish. When Connor finished, the last one done, she looked at Roy. "Can we have cake?" she asked excitedly.

"I said cake after patrol. But we can have presents now." He stood and gathered his and Jade's plates. "Connor?"

"Right," Connor nodded, grabbing his and Mia's plates. He put them in the sink, then went to their bedroom.

Roy and Connor returned after a minute, the former carrying two wrapped presents and the latter carrying a small present bag. "Ok, here you go."

"…Thanks," Mia replied, some of her excitement fading as she accepted the gifts. She weighed her options for a moment, then slowly opened one. "A… An iPod?"

"I hope you like pink. The lady at the mall said its really popular with girls your age. There's also one of those little cards so you can buy songs to put on it. And headphones. You can put games on it too."

"Cool." Heart-pounding, Mia focused on opening the second present. "Another journal?"

"Connor mentioned you'd almost file your other one."

Mia looked at Connor, who shrugged. "Thanks, Roy."

"You're welcome."

"Me next," Connor said, placing the small present bag on the table.

Mia opened it, then smiled a little. "Make this yourself?" It was a ceramic bowl, painted in red with yellow arrows on it.

"Yeah. I went to that…painting place where they make it look like glass in the kiln and stuff."

"It's cool. Thanks."

"You're welcome."

"Happy birthday, kid," Jade sighed as she tossed something onto the table. It landed with a soft thunk, piquing Mia's interest.

"Thank you…" she said slowly as she opened it. Inside was what looked like a wallet at first glance made of thick black material. Similar to the material of her utility belt. When she opened it though, there wasn't the usual wallet stuff. Just three pockets with something sharp and metallic sticking out of each one. Carefully, Mia pulled one out and a smiled. "Oh my god!"

"…You gave her shurikens?" Roy asked in disbelief. "Are those real?"

"Uh-huh…" Connor answered his finger bleeding after touching a point. "And sharp." He put his finger in his mouth to nurse the wound.

"Do I even- No, forget it. I don't want to know where those came from."

"Good choice," Jade told him.

Roy rubbed his eyes, then glanced at Mia. 'Well…if she's happy, I guess it's not so bad.' He sighed a little. "Happy birthday, Mia. Why don't you put that stuff in your room, then we can go on patrol."

"Ok." Mia gathered up her gifts, then brought them to her room. She put them on her desk, then ran back out to meet Connor and Roy a the front door. 'The sooner we get back from patrol, the sooner I can have cake!'

— —

When they got home, Mia practically bounded into the kitchen. She was bouncing up and down on her heels. "Let's go, Roy!" she said.

"Uh-huh," Roy smiled as he grabbed a knife. "Connor, can you grab the candles before she explodes?"

"Got 'em," Connor replied. "And the matches."

"Jade! We're having cake!"

"No need to yell," Jade muttered as she walked in. "It's not exactly a big place."

"Alright, everyone sit and we'll sing, then I'll cut the cake."

Mia sat at the table, tapping her hands off the table excitedly. The other three occupants sang happy birthday, the glow of the 15 candles illuminating them. [After that, Roy cut the cake and gave Mia the first slice. She dug in immediately, smiling wide as she did. "It's amazing!"

"Glad you like it," Roy said. "We worked hard on it."

"It's ok," Jade shrugged. "I've had better."

"Sure…"

Mia relished the sweetness of her cake. Within five minutes the shawl slice was gone. "It's amazing. Best first birthday cake ever. Can I have another piece?"

Normally, Roy would say no. That sweets weren't good for them and they had to eat healthy to be fit for vigilante work. But hearing Mia talk about never having a cake, how it took 15 years for someone to show this kid a basic staple of life, he shrugged. "Sure. Go for it." It would probably give her a stomach ache, but the smile on Mia's face was well worth it. When they all finished with cake, Roy covered the remainder and put it on the counter. "Connor, Mia, as soon as you're done, get ready for bed."

"Already done," Mia said as she put her plate in the sink. "Night, Roy."

"Night kid." Roy wanted to hug Mia, but held back, knowing she would just pull away if he tried.

"Thanks for…you know…everything."

"Of course. I'm happy to do it. Happy birthday."

"And thanks, Jade."

"No problem, kid," Jade replied. "This weekend I'll show you how to use those."

Mia smiled as she followed Connor to their room. She got ready for bed, then climbed onto the top bunk as Connor settled down on his meditation cushion. "Hey, Con?"

"Yeah?" Connor replied, closing his eyes and placing his hands on his knees.

"Is this how birthdays usually are?"

"For the most part, yeah. It's what its been like for me. Except when I was at the monetary. They don't do presents there. Sort of goes against the whole idea of a monastic lifestyle."

"Yeah, I can see that."

"Why?"

"No reason. Just curious." Mia laid down, wrapping her fist blanket all the way around her like a burrito, then pulled the second blanket over it. She slipped her arms inside her burrito-like structure. Despite how tired she was, she couldn't go to sleep though. She stayed awake as Connor meditated, then was still awake when he finished and turned off the light. Mia wanted to sleep. She did. In fact, she had to sleep. She had school the next day. But her eyes kept looking in the direction of her desk, her eyes finding her presents even in the dark. In the stillness and darkness of the bedroom, it felt like her heart would beat out of her chest. 'It's not like that here,' she thought. 'Roy…he's not like that. He's not like any of the other men. He's not.' Whether he was or not, her brain just didn't seem to listen. So Mia stayed up, staring at the door, willing it not to open, late into the night.


	31. Messy, Confusing Emotions

A/N: Just so you know, there are some...implied sexual themes in this chapter. Nothing explicit though. Enjoy!

"Thank you for sharing, Grace," Ms. Kylie said. "Everyone?" The girls in the circle applauded quietly. "Would anyone else like to share?"

A few seconds of silence lingered in the group. "I had to pick out classes for high school this week," Mia said quietly. Everyone looked at her. "My grades aren't anything special. My foster dad wants us to have like…all A's and B's, but I only have one C so he lets it slide. Anyway, I'm going to pass my classes for the year, so I got to pick out my classes for freshman year of classes."

"What classes did you pick?"

"They had like…different types we had to pick. You know, English, math, history, science. I'm taking freshman English, something called earth sciences, pre-algebra, freshman history, Spanish, and gym."

"Are you excited about these classes?"

"Yeah. I mean… I sort of gave up on ever going back to school. I've never been a great student and I was really behind. But now… Now I'm a month away from graduating from the 8th grade. There's a ceremony with a certificate and everything." Mia put her hands between her legs like she was trying to keep them warm, but she just wanted to keep them from shaking.

"And how does it feel to be graduating from the 8th grade?"

"…Weird. Cool. I'm- I'm really proud of myself. You know, for making it this far. At first, I wasn't even sure I wanted to stay at my foster dad's, but now that I'm going to high school…I want to keep going. I want…a high school diploma."

"That's a very laudable goal, MIa. And I think I speak for everyone here when I say we all believe in you. Girls?" Everyone clapped quietly. "Does anyone else want to share today?" No one spoke up. "Well, we still have some time left and it's a nice day out today. Let's go out to the yard until our time is over."

All the girls stood, then stacked their chairs in the back of the room before following her outside. Mia stood against the building with her arms crossed. Some of the girls had gone over to the small jungle gym, but most of the others were standing around talking.

"Hi, Mia," Nicky said as she stood next to her. "How's it going?"

Mia shrugged. "It's going I guess…" she replied.

"Good, good. I heard you've been participating in Group for the last couple of weeks."

"Yeah… Figure if I ever want to get out of here, I better start doing something."

"Is that the only reason?"

Mia tense a little. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing. Things have just been going so well for you, I can't help but wonder if graduating from the program is your only motivation."

"What else would it be?" Mia thought over the conversation, then scowled. "I'm not going to suddenly admit to being trafficked if that's what you're implying."

"I'm not implying anything, Mia. I just want to know what you're thinking."

"I'm thinking that you need to back off."

"Ok, Ok. I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to upset you."

"Why are you so focused on that anyway? Why do you have to keep bringing up what happened to me in the past?"

Nicky was quiet for a moment. "I know it feels like we're drudging up the past, but there's a reason, Mia. You can't heal until you've accepted what happened to you."

"I don't need to heal. I'm fine."

"Well, if ever decide you're not, you know where to find us."

Mia looked away. "Whatever…" She heard Nicky leave and sighed a little. 'I'm fine. Really. I'm fine. It'll be fine. Everything will be fine.'

— —

When Roy picked Mia up at therapy, she was waiting for him outside the resource center. "How was it?" he asked.

"Good," Mia answered. "I talked again at Group."

"That's good. Keep this up and they'll let you graduate the program in no time."

"Guess so…" It was quiet for a minute. "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"…Did you ever…have a problem talking about what happened to you?"

Roy didn't answer right away. "I did. Mostly because I'd had it figuratively, and literally, beaten into my head that I wasn't supposed to talk about what happened. But eventually, I felt safe enough to talk about it in and out of therapy."

"And it never bothered you…everyone talking about you like you're a victim?"

"…Not really. I mean, I didn't want to accept the finality of what had happened. I was convinced Oliver could change and it would be ok. Eventually, I had to admit what happened and how it affected me."

Mia was quiet for another minute. "But it never bothered you, being a victim?"

"I guess… I never really thought about it like that before." He was quiet for a moment. "Are you bothered by being seen as a victim?"

"Uh-huh… I mean, I was a victim for years when my dad…and I just don't want it to follow me around for the rest of my life. I'm already HIV positive. I don't need to be a trafficking victim too."

Roy didn't respond right away. "I can see why that would upset you. But you know…admitting you were a victim doesn't make you a victim forever. I mean…I was a victim of abuse. But I'm not anymore."

"Yeah, that's why you need medication to sleep."

"The PTSD wouldn't have magically disappeared if I didn't admit what had happened to me. If anything it could've made it more difficult for me to move on. Part of healing is acknowledging what happened."

Mia crossed her arms. 'Why does he have to make so much sense?' There was another minute of silence. "It's not just the label. If I was trafficked, then I ran away from abuse so I could be exploited. Which would make me the biggest idiot on the planet."

"Mia-"

"It's true."

"No, it's not. Listen, I know how you feel. I felt the same way. Back when I first met Oliver, I was so eager to get to know him that I spent as much time with him as I could. I felt like what had happened was my fault because I believed he cared about me. And I'm not dumb, right?"

"No. You're like…the smartest person I've ever met."

"Thanks. My point is, I'm not stupid and neither are you. If you are stupid, you wouldn't be graduating from the 8th grade in a month. Right?"

"Guess so…"

"There you go then."

Mia looked out the window silently for the rest of the ride home.

— —

When they got home, Roy rounded up Connor and the three of them went to the Arrow Cave.

"Grab your bows," Roy instructed once they were there. "You guys need to practice shooting at the same time."

"This is so dumb," Mia muttered as she strapped her quiver on. "Just because we can shoot together in here, doesn't mean we'll be able to do it on the streets."

"You will if you practice." Roy grabbed his own bow and stood behind them as they lined up in front of the targets. "Ready?" Instead of replying, the two teens put their hands to their quivers. "Draw." They pulled arrows from their quivers and put them to the bowstrings. "Anchor." Their bows came up and the bowstrings came back. "Shoot." The two arrows hit the center of the targets. "Again. Draw."

They went through the drill, Connor, and Mia shooting in sync with each other, for a couple hours. The only time they stopped was for the two teens to re-fill their quivers.

"How long do we have to keep doing this?" Mia asked. When Roy finally let them take a break.

"Until you guys can shoot in perfect unison," Roy answered simply. "Until shooting with each other becomes as natural as breathing."

"But our arrows are pretty much in sync."

"Pretty much in sync isn't good enough for what I have planned. Besides, you're still shooting slightly slower than him."

Mia rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "It's not my fault Connor is shooting too fast."

A small smile played on Roy's lips. "How about we compromise? Connor, shoot a little slower; Mia shoot a little faster. Meet each other halfway."

"Ok," Connor nodded.

"Mia?"

Mia sighed a little. "Yeah… Ok."

"Alright. Back to work." He continued to run them through the drill for the rest of the early afternoon. Their shooting was impeccable as usual. Not on par with himself (or even on par with him when he was their age) but their aim was still incredible. 'They continue to get better too. They're getting there.' He checked the time, then stretched a little. "I think we're done for today."

"Finally," Mia sighed as she lowered her bow.

"How will you know when you shooting is together enough?" Connor asked when he put his quiver away.

"I'll know. Plus, once I have a prototype of the trick arrow we can test it. That'll show us whether you guys are really shooting together well enough."

"Won't that be fun," Mia muttered just loud enough for Connor to hear. It didn't get a laugh, but he did smile a little. "Hey, do we ever get to help with the trick arrows?"

"You want to help me build trick arrows? Why?"

"I don't know. It could be interesting."

"Well…not for another year at least. You guys are smart, but-"

"We're too dumb to understand the arrows? Didn't you build them when you were our age?"

"I designed them. I had help with the actual building from Batman."

"I keep forgetting he knows Batman," Connor whispered. It was cool and also kind of scary all at the same time.

"You guys have plenty of work to do without worrying about that. Come on, let's go home."

"Let's play Clue when we get home," Mia said to Connor as they climbed the stairs.

"I have homework to do-"

"Just one game! Please?"

Connor sighed. "Fine."

"Yes! Roy do you want to play with us?"

"Sorry, Mia, I have cases to go over," Roy said. "You guys can ask Jade though."

"Jade's merciless when she plays games," Connor muttered. "She's like…out for blood but its just a board game."

"Well…ask her to go easier."

"I can't do that. She'll make fun of me."

"I don't know what to tell you then, Connor."

Connor looked at Mia, who simply said, "Clue is better with three people. Looks like you're out of luck."

— —

When they got home, Mia grabbed Clue and set it up on the living room floor. Jade and Connor played with her while Roy read over case files. First for his business, trying to figure out what information needed collecting and who needed to be interviewed to close cases in the upcoming week; and as Red Arrow. New routes of drug and gun trafficking had been found among the shipping lanes in Star Harbor, so that was going to require his attention.

'Definitely have to get a handle on this before it gets out of hand,' Roy thought. 'The last thing I need is more drugs and weapons finding their way on to the streets. I wonder if Detective Rodgseron would slip me some files on searches they've already conducted on ships. I could use that information to start narrowing down which companies exactly are smuggling everything in. That way I don't have to waste time searching them and narrowing it down by myself.'

Jade glanced over at Roy after she moved her piece into the library. "You sure you don't want to play, hero?" she asked casually, crossing off the rope from her sheet.

"No, I'm good," Roy replied distractedly. "I've got a lot of work to do and I have to get it all done before it's time for dinner." And after dinner, it was patrol all night. On days like today, it felt like there weren't enough hours. But Roy worked away, trying to get through everything that needed to be done. It also had the added bonus of keeping his mind occupied. Days when he didn't have time for his brain to wander down paths that might make him anxious or upset. So he worked through all his cases, keeping half an ear on the game. The three made it through two games of Clue, both of which Jade won.

"I hate playing with her," Connor muttered as he plopped down on the couch beside Roy.

"Because she doesn't let you win?" Roy asked, slightly amused.

"She doesn't need to let me win."

"Then why didn't you win?"

"…That's not the point." Connor looked over Roy's shoulder to read his file. "The new trafficking shipments?"

"Yeah. We're going to take a trip by the police station tonight, see if Rodgerson is willing to share some information."

"And if he isn't?"

"He will. I'll find a way to convince him." Roy glanced at the clock, then sighed and stretched a little. "I'm going to start dinner."

"Can I help?"

"If you want to."

Mia paused in her task of cleaning up the game to see Jade watching Roy and Connor leave. "Why do you always look at him?" she asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Jade answered as she stood.

"Yeah, sure. Like you don't always look at Roy when you two are in the same room." She smiled a little mischievously. "You like him, don't you?"

"You should keep your nose in your own business."

"There's nothing to be ashamed of. Roy's smart, nice, handsome, brave-"

"You don't know what you're talking about, kid."

"Why not? It doesn't take a genius to figure it out."

"Don't you have homework to do or something?"

"Fine." Mia shrugged and picked up her game. "For what it's worth, I think he likes you too. At the very least he's attracted to you."

'Freaking kids,' Jade thought with a scoff. She rolled her eyes and sat on the couch. 'She's just a child. A stupid kid. She doesn't know anything.' The kids were young, they didn't understand the…difficulty of being on the opposite side of someone you…admired or was attracted to. 'I need to get out of here. Go back to my own life. Roy seems to have a good handle on everything. I'm sure I've more than paid back my debt.' And yet, when she thought about leaving him, something stopped her. Something she couldn't name. She wanted to be with Roy all the time. Watch him read and shoot. Admire the sharp lines that made up every pronounced and well-defined muscle of his being. While she judged Kaldur'ahm for how he'd psychologically hurt Roy, she couldn't understand why anyone would give up having someone as attractive as Roy by their side. 'Well… It isn't like…being physical is the same as a relationship. And I definitely don't have any feelings for Roy beyond this weird friendship.' So what was there to be worried about? 'Nothing. I have nothing to be worried about.'

— —

The rest of the day and most of the night was pleasant for Roy. After dinner, he, Connor, and Mia went on patrol. They stopped by the police station, Speedy and Green Arrow waiting for him across the street as Red Arrow climbed the outside of the building. He found Detective Rodgerosn's office easily and tapped his knuckle against the glass. The archer smiled a little when the detective jumped.

"You're like a boogeyman, you know that?" Rodgerson asked after he opened the window. He stepped back, allowing Red Arrow to enter his office. "What'd you want, archer?"

"I was wondering if you'd conducted any searches of ships you suspect may be smuggling weapons or drugs for the new trafficking ring," Red Arrow answered.

"We've searched three of them, but there's no evidence they're connected to the trafficking."

"Would you be interested in sharing the names of those ships?"

"With you, no?"

Red Arrow resisted the urge to sigh. "Why not? We've helped each other out before."

"That doesn't mean I'm interested in sharing every time you ask."

"It doesn't have to be every time. I'd argue I do more favors for you than I ask in return."

"Good. That's exactly how this relationship would work."

Red Arrow hesitated for a moment. "If I can narrow down the ships that are participating in the trafficking, it would make it a lot easier for you. How many hours of manpower will it take for you to search those ships one by one? You'd save a lot of time and money by sharing what you have and allowing me and my team to conduct searches."

Rodgerson sighed as he sat on the edge of his desk. "If I give you this information, you would give me your word you won't let it get out anywhere. Share it with your little sidekicks if you want, but no one else. Understood?"

"You have my word. Have I ever let you down before?"

"Don't get comfortable. I'm still keeping a close eye on you, archer."

"Of course." Red Arrow waited patiently as Detective Rodgerson looked in a file, then wrote down three things on a piece of paper.

When he was done, he handed the paper to the vigilante. "Get to work."

"Always do."

The list proved to be as valuable as Roy had hoped. He was able to further break down and categorize every ship that had been delivering goods through that specific dock in the harbor. Although there wasn't a lot of searching done that night, he had a plan of attack for another week. Unfortunately, the scale of the search meant he had to continue working on it and planning out searching and surveillance, even when he got home from patrol. Roy sat in the kitchen, looking over his papers and plans long after Connor and Mia went to bed.

"You should be asleep," Jade said, leaning against the doorway.

"Maybe…" Roy replied evasively. "But I need to get this done."

"It could wait until morning."

Roy shook his head. "Detective Rodgerson is counting on me."

"Too many people count on you." Jade walked closer and put her hands experimentally on Roy's shoulders. There was a moment where they tensed but quickly relaxed. She smiled and slid her hands down his arms. "You need to relax a little."

"I like being busy. Keeps my mind off things."

"There are…other ways to keep your minds off things."

Roy stopped for a moment as Jade leaned against his back, her hands coming to rest on his. "Jade-"

"Come on, hero. Just have some fun."

"I have fun… I- I like to play games with Connor and Mia-"

"I mean some adult fun." She leaned in slowly and started kissing his neck.

"Jade- Jade-" Roy's breath caught in his throat and butterflies zipped through his stomach. Excitement pulled his muscles taut and a warm tingle colored his skin all over his body. It was messing with his brain. That, and memories started to surface. Memories about his first solo mission and the…new feelings she'd awakened in him.

"You're attracted to me, right?"

"Of course…" Roy leaned into the kiss, unable to resist the reflex to turn toward her lips so she could catch him on the mouth. "You're gorgeous… Strong… Willed…"

Jade smirked as she messaged the back of Roy's neck. "We… We seem to find ourselves in agreement. We're both incredibly attractive and in need of a little stress relief." She grabbed Roy's chin gently to tilt his head up toward her. "You always want to take care of everyone. Give yourself a break once in a while. Worry about yourself."

For a moment, Roy thought about saying no. He had work to do, people were counting on him. One the other hand… Part of Roy missed this. All of this. And he did want some stress relief. So, he forgot about the work he had to do (it would all be there in the morning) and stood. As he stood, he started kissing Jade back, heart fluttering at the excitement it gave him. He pulled her closer, running his hand down her back as he did. "Don't wake up the kids…" he whispered, slightly out of breath when he finally pulled away.

Jade smiled as she grabbed Roy's shirt and pulled him toward his bedroom. "Whatever you say, hero."

— —

The quiet and intermittent tapping of Roy's pen kept interrupting his thoughts. Every time he tried to think about his work, the tapping of his pen pulled his mind away from it. Never mind that he was the person tapping the pen. It was still distracting him. That was the point though. Because if he didn't distract himself, he might start thinking about the previous night. About everything that had happened with Jade. Roy sighed as he paused in his tapping long enough to rub the back of his neck. The twisting feeling in his stomach, which had been there since he'd woken up that morning, persisted.

Roy sighed and put his head in his hands on his desk. 'God, I'm such a mess,' he thought miserably. 'I'm feeling guilty for having sex. Why? Because I've been broken up with Kaldur for five…almost six months. What's wrong with me?' It didn't help that he'd genuinely enjoyed what happened with Jade that night. He'd meant what he said about her being attractive— he'd thought so since he was a teenager after all— but then he thought about Kaldur. He thought about how awful it made him feel like he'd cheated. Which was absurd. But Roy still wasn't able to shake that feeling. 'I really need to talk to Jade. We need to talk about everything.' Discussing feelings wasn't one of Jade's strengths or even something she normally did, but Roy knew it had to happen. He glanced at the time.

'It's a little early…but I think I can call it a day considering the circumstances.' Roy nodded to himself as he stood and began collecting his things. It wasn't like he was getting any work done here anyway. So he packed up his cases in his bag and made sure to lock his office door on his way out. The weather had taken a sure turn for the warmer, allowing him to walk without a jacket. Roy was too worked up to enjoy the weather though. 'What do I say to her?' he thought as he walked home. 'I'm not even 100% sure how I feel. I mean, I enjoyed what happened. Kind of glad it happened too… But I feel…like I've done something wrong. I haven't though…right?' Maybe it would make sense when he talked to Jade; just get everything out of his head and out in the open.

When Roy got home, Jade was in the living room, which was nice, because when he'd left she'd still been in his bed. He hesitated in the wide doorway, uncertain as to what to say. Somehow, Jade seemed to sense he was there. She turned around and gave him a smile. "You just going to stand there?" she asked.

"Uh… No…" Roy replied slowly. He walked in, slowly taking his bag off, then set it by his feet as he sat on the couch; on the opposite end from Jade. "So… I…uh… I wanted to talk to you…"

"What about?"

"Last night."

Jade's smile became a small smirk. "It was amazing."

"No- Well, yes, it was. But…" Roy sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Jade… I- I can't do this."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean… I'm not ready- for anything like this. As much fun as I had last night and even though I really liked it…I feel guilty."

"Why? Because of Kaldur'ahm? He broke up with you five months ago. You have no reason to feel guilty."

"I know, I know. I didn't say it made sense." In his opinion, his feelings rarely did. "I still don't think I can do this though. I'm not… I don't think I'm really over Kal yet and- and you deserve better than that. I'm sorry." He watched her face, completely uncertain as to what she would say.

Jade simply shrugged though. "Ok."

"Ok?"

"Yeah, ok. You're still hung up on Kaldur'ahm. I can understand that."

"So you're not disappointed?"

"I am but…" But it was Roy. He deserved understanding. A depth of emotions Jade wasn't sure she could provide. "I'm fine."

"Ok. Thanks, for…understanding. We're still friends…right?"

"I'll decide when we stop being friends hero. And trust me, you'll know."

"Good. I think…" Roy gave her a smile and Jade tried to ignore the way it made her heart pound. "You're the best."

"A few people might disagree with you on that."

"Well, they don't know you the way I do."

'Too well,' Jade thought as Roy left, presumably to put his work bag on the living room shelf like he always did. 'You know me too well, hero. I don't let people get this close. I'm too smart for that. So why can't I manage it with you? Why do you make it so impossible to lock you out?' Even if Roy didn't want a relationship with her— even one that was purely physical— just being his friend was enough for part of her. And Jade wasn't sure if she was ok with that.


	32. Dances and Surprises

A/N: Ha, updated with 30 minutes to spare. There'll be some...interesting developments in this chapter. Read on to find out what.

[May 2015]

Connor winced as he passed the bathroom, the sound of vomiting clear through the closed door. "Jade's throwing up again," he said as he walked into the kitchen.

A worried frown crossed Roy's face. "Again? Really?" he asked, voice laced with concern. "That's what… the fourth time this week?"

"This week?" Mia asked as Connor sat next to her at the table. "Roy, she's been throwing up for like a week."

"I offered to take her to a doctor, but she insists she's fine."

"Yeah, that's why she seems extra moody lately," Connor said as he poked at his fruit. "Because she's fine."

"If she says she's fine, then there's nothing I can do."

"Well do something," Mia replied. "I'm worried she's dying."

"She's not dying. It's probably some kind of a bug." Even though there were no other symptoms of illness like coughing or fever. Just vomiting, fatigue, and a few abnormal mood swings. 'It could be a lot of things though. I've basically got a college degree in first aid thanks to night activities, but I'm definitely not a doctor. I'm sure Jade's fine. I'd notice if something was wrong.' Roy finished cutting up fruit for himself and Jade and had it in bowls by the time she joined them in the kitchen. "Good morning."

"There's nothing good about it," Jade muttered as she sat down. She ran her hands through her hair.

"Well, I've got some light breakfast for you." Roy sat down and set JAde's bowl in front of her. "Hopefully you can keep it down."

"Hopefully. It's not every food though. Sometimes it's not even food."

"I can always take you to a clinic-"

"I said no, hero. I already owe you enough."

"You wouldn't- Ok, fine. But if this keeps happening, at least consider it."

"Roy-"

"You've been throwing up every morning for a week and you've been more tired than normal."

"I'm fine. One of your little Petri dishes probably brought something home from school."

"Rude," Mia muttered.

Jade rolled her eyes, then winced as pain laced through her lower back. 'Ugh! Great! The last thing I need right now is-' She froze, a piece of fruit halfway to her mouth. "What's the date?"

"The date?" Roy asked in confusion.

"Yeah, hero. The date."

"May 15," Mia said. "Or…the day before our 8th-grade graduation."

"Yeah, I don't care about that. Are you sure it's already the 15th?"

"Definitely."

Roy frowned as he watched Jade's face. "Is everything ok?" he asked.

"…Yeah… Everything's fine…" Jade answered slowly, still doing the math in her head. She quickly shoved a few more pieces of fruit into her mouth.

"I'm going for a walk. Don't wait up."

"…Ok!" A few seconds later the door shut.

"That was weird," Connor said. "Even for her."

"I'm sure the walk will be good for her. Fresh air and all that. You guys don't worry about it, I will. Get ready for school."

"Do we really have to go?" Mia asked. "Its a half-day! We'll be home by lunch!"

"Yes, you still have to go. If I remember correctly, you have to go today if you want to go to the 8th Grade Dance tonight."

Connor made a face. "Do we have to go to the dance?" he asked.

"Of course!" Mia objected. "Do you know how hard I worked to get here? I want to celebrate. Besides, I've never been to a dance before. And you haven't either!"

"And I had intended to keep it that way."

"Come on, Connor. You don't want me to have to go alone, do you?"

For a few seconds, Connor held Mia's pleading gaze, but that's all it took before his resolve melted. "Fine… I'll go. But I won't have fun."

"Whatever."

Roy smiled a little. "Get ready," he said. "You guys don't want to be late on your last day."

Connor put his bowl in the sink, then followed Mia to the bathroom to brush their teeth. 'At least the dance isn't until tonight. I have plenty of time to mentally prepare myself for the torture.' Hopefully, him going to the dance would be good enough for Mia and she wouldn't push him to also dance. 'I don't even know how to dance, so I couldn't even if she tried to make me.' And to the best of his knowledge, Mia couldn't dance either, so hopefully he'd be safe. 'At least it's almost summer vacation. That'll be worth it.' It was worth anything to get away from school for three months.

"I still can't believe they're making us come to school for half a day," Mia said as she grabbed her backpack. "What're we even doing?"

"I don't know," Connor admitted. "Might be some kind of assembly."

"The family assembly is tomorrow so that's dumb."

"Oh well. Come on, we don't want to be late on our last day."

"Speak for yourself."

Connor rolled his eyes a little as he followed her. 'Almost to summer break. Almost there.'

— —

The assembly at school was entirely uneventful. All the honor roll students were recognized, including Connor, who could hear Mia's cheering all the way across the gym. When they got home, Roy was still at work, so Connor made lunch for the two of them.

"What'd you think the dance will be like?" Mia asked.

"I don't know, I've never been to one."

"I'm excited. It's kind of cool to do something normal like this, isn't it?"

"I guess." It definitely didn't sound better than going on patrol but had more than earned a night of normalcy. So if it made her happy, then he supposed he could put up with it for one night.

"Any girls you're hoping to see there?"

"Nope."

"Really? Not even Alyssa?"

Heat flooded Connor's cheeks at the reminder. "I- I don't-"

"Connor, you can tell me you like her. It's fine. I won't even tell anyone if you don't want."

"That's not- It's not like that…"

"Then what's it like?"

"Its- It's-" Connor stumbled over his words, not sure what to say. What could he say without telling her the whole truth? "It's complicated."

"Doesn't sound complicated. You either like this girl or you don't."

"I- I don't…" The confession did little to make Connor feel better. If anything, it just made the snake constricting his ribs even bigger.

"Did something happen?"

"…What?"

"Did something happen to make you stop liking her?"

"N-No. I've never liked her."

"What?" Mia frowned in confusion. "Then why did you kiss her on Valentine's Day?"

Connor stood up. "I'm going to meditate."

"Connor-" Mia grabbed Connor's wrist as he passed her. For a moment he froze, then the freaked gaze on his face became a glare and he jerked his wrist free. Mia's grip broke easily and he stopped back.

"Leave me alone, Mia."

"Connor-"

"I said leave me alone! You- You just- You don't understand!" Connor ran from the kitchen and into the bedroom. The door slammed shut behind him, but he didn't care. His heart pounded in his chest and he sat with his back against the door. For a minute it was quiet, just him and the heavy ball of emotions in his chest. Then someone knocked on the door.

"Connor?" Mia asked hesitantly. "Open the door."

Connor didn't say anything. He pulled his knees against his chest and bit his lip.

"Con, come on. I'm sorry if I upset you. I- I just want to talk. I'm worried… Please, Connor?"

As upset as he was, Connor couldn't help but give in to the distressed tone in Mia's voice. He sighed, then slowly stood so he could open the door. "What'd you want?"

Mia blinked for a moment, taken aback by the thin film of tears over Connor's eyes. "Con… What's going on? I'm sorry I upset you, but… Why are you so upset?" There was a clear moment of hesitation on his face. "I just want to understand. Come on, we're friends. Why are you so upset?"

There were another few seconds of hesitation before Connor spoke. "Come in here. I- I don't want Roy or Jade to overhear if they come home."

Mia nodded and walked into the room, making sure the door was shut securely behind her. "What's going on?"

"…A lot… I guess…" Connor sat on the floor by his bed and pulled his knees up to his chest again. He waited until Mia was sitting next to him before he kept talking. "I- I don't- I don't like girls." He paused for a moment. "At least…I don't think I do."

"Really? That's it?" The look on his face told Mia that wasn't the right response. "I mean…good for you?"

"It's not good!"

"Sure it is-"

"No, Mia, it's not!"

"Why, what're you worried about? Is it Roy? Maybe it's because he's had a boyfriend, but I really think he'll be cool about this."

"It's not Roy."

"Then what is it?"

Connor was quiet for a few seconds. "I spent my whole life being bullied. It got so bad I was kicked out of two schools. My father is a notorious villain and murderer. I- There's already enough about me that's abnormal. I don't need anything else."

"You're not abnormal."

"I am. Everyone knows it."

"So what if you are? Connor, I'm HIV positive. I'm not exactly living the normal teen life over here." Mia waited for a response but didn't get one.

"If you don't like girls, then why did you kiss Alyssa?"

Connor sighed. "I- I didn't really kiss her. I mean…there was kissing but… I didn't kiss her. She kissed me. She- She started asking me about the Valentine's Day Dance and I told her I wasn't going. Then she put her hand on my knee and tried to touch my hair, but I- I got uncomfortable. So I told her and tried to leave, but she- she stepped in front of me."

"…She stepped in front of you? Like…she pinned you against the wall?"

"She- She didn't really pin me-"

"Did she prevent you from leaving even after you said you wanted to?"

"Yeah… And then she said if I didn't want people to say I was gay, I should kiss her. Then she kissed me."

"Did you…tell her you wanted her to kiss you?"

"No! I didn't want her to! It was…weird and gross!"

The fact that this girl had kissed Connor against his will angered Mia, but she set that anger aside for now. "I'm sorry, Connor."

Connor sighed and rubbed his head. "I wanted to tell people I didn't like it, but I knew if I did it'd basically confirm I was gay and they'd keep making fun of me. I just wanted them to leave me alone."

"That sucks. You should just ignore those jerks."

"I try. It's just hard sometimes…"

"And you didn't think about telling Roy?"

"I didn't want to tell anyone. Because…if I said something it would be…a thing. And I'm not 100% sure I'm…you know, so… I just didn't want to be a thing…"

Mia winced. "Guess I ruined that. Sorry."

"It's ok."

"So you're not absolutely sure?"

"I mean…I don't really understand the appeal of girls. They're ok, I guess, but not to the extent all the other boys do. And honestly…I wish my first kiss had been with the guy who sat in front of me in English."

"I'm sorry, Connor." Mia put her hand on his and gave it a gentle squeeze. "And…I've got your back. You know that, right?"

"Yeah…"

"I mean it. If you decide you want to tell the whole school you're gay, I'll be there for you. We're friends. That's what friends do, right?"

"Guess so…" Connor wiped his eyes with his other hand. He gave her a small smile. "Thanks."

"Is this why you didn't want to go to the dance?"

"Yeah. I mean… I don't know how to dance, but I also didn't want to run into Alyssa. I've spent the rest of the school year trying not to be near her."

"If I promise we'll stick together at the dance, will you still go?"

"Yeah. I guess."

"We'll have a great time. You'll see. It's going to be great. Now come on, Roy's not home, so we can have some ice cream."

"You don't think he'll notice we had some?"

"Probably, but he wasn't here to tell us no, so what can he really say?"

Connor shook his head as Mia tulle him toward the kitchen. "Hard to argue with that logic."

— —

Later that night, Roy couldn't help but smile as he watched Connor and Mia get ready for the dance. Connor was wearing a green button-up shirt and black slacks. The teen frowned in confusion as he tried to figure out his tie.

"Hey Roy…" he said. "Can you help?"

"Yeah, hold still." Roy carefully tied Connor's tie for him. "You excited?"

"Not really. I'm only going because Mia wants me to."

"Well… I'm sure you'll have fun. Dances are great."

Connor frowned in confusion. "How would you know?"

"I- I went to one. Once."

"Really? When?!"

"…Never mind. Just forget it."

Connor wanted to keep asking but decided to let it go because Roy was obviously uncomfortable by the subject. "I'm not sure how much fun it'll be. I don't know how to dance."

"Just…move randomly with the beat of the music. It'll be fine."

Mia rolled her eyes as she finished brushing her hair. "You'll be fine, Connor," she said. "We're going so we can have a good time and celebrate."

"What time does the dance end?" Roy asked.

"Uh…10 I think."

"Ok. I'll be there to pick you guys up."

"Are you going to patrol while we're there?" Connor asked.

"No, I'll probably just hang around here. If anything I might go to the Cave for trick arrow maintenance. Don't worry, you're not going to miss much."

"Ok, I'm ready," Mia said, twirling a little to show off her dress. It was red with lace around the neck and arms, and a few frills on the bottom. "Are we leaving?"

"Yes. Let's go."

Connor tried not to sigh or drag his feet as he followed Mia and Roy out the door. Mia might've reassured him they would stay away from Alyssa, but it didn't completely assuage his worries. 'What if the other kids expect me to dance with a girl? I mean, I could probably do it, but what if she tries to kiss me like Alyssa?' It made Connor wish he was going on patrol that night instead of the dance. At the very least, he felt more sure of himself when he had his mask on. 'It's just a dance. I can get through it. I can do this.' He fiddled with his tie all the way to the school; only stopping when Mia elbowed him.

"Chill," she hissed. "Everything's fine."

Connor nodded, then forced a small smile. "It'll be fine." They stopped outside the school and he took a deep breath. 'Just a normal middle school dance. Can't be any harder than taking on drug dealers with big scary guns.' Somehow part of Connor's brain felt they were tied.

"You guys have your student IDs?" Roy asked. Connor and Mia showed him the small cards. "Got your phones?" They held up the devices, then he handed them each a $20. "Behave. and I'll be here to pick you guys up at 10 pm sharp. Understood?"

"Understood."

"Got it," Mia answered quickly. "Let's go, Connor."

Connor waved idly to Roy as he got out of the car, then followed Mia to the school gates. Only one of the gates was opened and an administrator was standing there, checking people's IDs. As soon as Connor and Mia showed him their ID cards, then paid their entrance fee, they entered the dance. It took up the whole courtyard of the school. Connor followed Mia around the edge, hanging near the back. The music was loud and he…didn't exactly recognize the song.

"This song is great!" Mia yelled in his ear.

"I don't really know music!" Connor yelled back.

Mia rolled her eyes. "Want to dance?!"

"I can't!"

"Sure you can!"

"But-" Connor stopped when Mia grabbed his hand.

"If you can fight, you can dance!"

Before he could say another word, she dragged him onto the dance floor. Mia started bopping her head along with the music. She smiled at Connor, moving his arm as she danced.

"Come on, Con!"

"Mia, I can't-"

"Yes, you can!" Without wanting, Mia's free hand formed a fist and she swung it toward him. Connor pivoted away, but Mia kicked at his shins, forcing him back again. Connor frowned in confusion, but Mia was just giving him a playful smile. She jerked him back toward herself with the hand she held, then repeated her earlier gestures. Connor focused on trying to keep his feet under him with Mia jerking him back and forth over the same foot of space. After a couple minutes though, he noticed something. She moved in a way that her moments were in time with the music. Which in turn made Connor move with the music. He started anticipating her movements, moving his own feat and body just as she attacked him. It was weird, and definitely not like any dance he'd ever seen, but the two of them were moving together, in sync with the music. "You're doing it, Connor! You're dancing!"

'Is this really dancing?' Connor wondered. His hand was released from Mia's grip, but he kept moving. Except he added moves of his own now as well. He kicked at Mia's feet, pushing her back a few inches.

Mia grinned even wider when Connor smiled a little, then punched at him from the other side. They kept punching and kicking at each other, forcing each other to move from side to side as they slowly began circling each other in their corner. If anyone had seen them, they wouldn't have been sure if the two teens were dancing or fighting. But it felt like dancing to them. Especially for two teenagers that didn't actually know how to dance. They also didn't really care though. Connor kept smiling, the gesture slowly growing (and becoming more genuine) as they danced. Soon he didn't even care if anyone saw them or what they thought. He was just happy to be dancing with his friend and having a good time.

— —

After Roy dropped Connor and Mia off at the dance, he went home to get a few things before he could head to the Cave. When he walked in though, Jade was pacing in the living room. "Oh, hey," he said. "No one's seen you all day."

"Uh-huh…" Jade muttered.

"We missed you at dinner."

"Sure…"

Roy frowned as Jade kept pacing, not even looking at him. He took a few steps closer. "Jade, what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"It doesn't seem like nothing." When he didn't get a response, Roy walked closer to grab her arm. Jade stopped suddenly and glared at him. For a second, he was afraid she would attack him, but then the anger faded from her face.

Jade physically backed down and sighed. "I- I've got something to tell you, hero."

"What is it?" There was no response for a few seconds, so Roy moved his hand from her arm to her hand. "Jade, come on. We're friends, you can tell me anything."

"You sure about that?"

"Of course! Whatever it is, I'm here for you."

"Good to know I guess…" Jade turned away from Roy, pulling her hand out of his. With her back turned to him, she put her hand on her stomach.

"Roy…" A hand settled on her shoulder and she sighed again. "Roy… I'm pregnant."


	33. Decisions to be Made

A/N: It feels fitting this chapter is going up on Mother's Day. Enjoy!

Roy stared at Jade in shock, his mouth hanging open. He didn't say anything for what felt like forever. Finally, though, his brain remembered how speech worked. "You- You're-?"

"Yeah…" Jade answered, turning back toward him.

"Oh… And it's-"

"Yours? Yeah."

"Right… After what we did-"

"Last month? You bet."

"Oh. Ok." Roy blinked, then swayed on his feet a little. "I think I need to…"

"Sit?"

"Yeah…" Roy stumbled to the coffee table to sit on the edge of it. He popped his elbows on his knees so he could put his head in his hands.

Jade watched him silently for a minute. "Do you need a second?"

"…Maybe?" It didn't feel like there were words to describe what he was feeling. Emotions were running around his head like wild horses. Cold fear gripped his stomach. Anxiety and fear pulled his muscles taut. Disbelief threw his psyche into a tailspin. 'Jade's pregnant… With my child…' The sentence sent a wave of cold fear wishing through him. 'I have a child… A baby…' It didn't feel…real. There was a part of Roy's brain convinced this was all a dream. Nothing more. But all of his emotions made it real. There was no way he could be feeling so many emotions at once and this not be real. 'But if it's real, then… then Jade's pregnant with my child and I'm going to be a father.' A new wave of shock hit him and he bolted into a sitting position. "Oh, God…"

"What?"

"…I'm going to be a- a father?" That was a bad idea. a horrible idea. Such a terrible idea he couldn't even process that. "I- I can't!" He looked at Jade desperately. "I can't- Jade, I'm not the type of person who should raise a kid!"

She stared at him like he was stupid. "You've already got two."

"That's- That's different! Connor and Mia- They're teenagers! This would be a baby!" A baby he'd have to raise from birth. A whole, tiny human being with its whole life ahead of it, depending completely on Roy to set it on the right path. Roy started rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm not the right person for this…"

Jade scoffed and crossed her arms. "It isn't like I planned this."

"I know, I know It's just…" Another person to look after. Another human needing his time and attention. Someone else he might let down if he can't get it right. 'I already have so much trouble with Connor and Mia. What makes me think I would be any good with a baby?'

"Are you really that convinced this is such a terrible thing for you?" The borderline anger in Jade's voice made Roy lift his head.

"Well…yeah! I'm not the kind of person who can-"

"Oh really? You're not the right kind of person? You, who was trained by Batman?! You, who've dedicated your life solely to helping others and opened your home up to two strange teenagers that needed you?! You, the most stupidly selfless person I've ever met who infuriates me with how…altruistic you are because it's just not human?! You think you're not the right person t be raising a kid?! Newsflash, hero, I'm a fucking assassin! I kill people from living! Both of my parents are criminals and villains! I ran out on my own sister! I've shirked any responsibility I might've had to people I'm related to! Believe me, if anyone in this room should be freaking out about being unqualified it's me!"

Roy swallowed guiltily, then took a deep breath. Then another. Several deep breaths later he could think clearly. 'Jade's right. She's right.' That didn't mean he was qualified; just that she was right about her having more of a right to freak out than him. "I'm sorry. I know this must be a scary time for you too-"

"Scared? Pfft! Please, I don't get scared." Everything about her stance and body language screamed self-assurance, but Roy could see through it. He knew it was less a yell of defiance and more one of desperation.

'She's just as freaked out about this as I am.' Roy took another deep breath. "It's ok. We- We can work this out. Together."

"Work this out? It's not a god-damn math problem, Roy. We've irresponsibly created another person and now… I don't even know what now."

Roy didn't either, so he decided to shift the conversation in a different direction. "Did you find out today?"

"Yeah. It kind of hit me at breakfast this morning but…I've been out all day making sure. I didn't want to say anything unless I was 110% positive."

"So you're definitely-"

"4 to 6 weeks pregnant, yes. I'm not sure about the exact numbers, but it should be right around a month."

"Ok…" Roy laced his fingers together and stared at them. "This is a lot to take in."

"I know." Jade turned away from him. "So…what're we going to do?"

"What'd you mean?"

"I mean…how do you want to handle this? Do you want to keep the baby…give it away?"

"Give it away…you mean like…put it up for adoption?"

"Yeah, I mean… It's an option, right?"

"Well…yeah…" It was an option, but an overwhelming one. Roy's brain was still too filled with complicated emotions for him to make that kind of decision. "Look, I know you like dealing with things head-on right away…but I really can't right now. It's so much for me to process, I just…need some time. And I think you do too."

"I'm fine-"

"No, you're not." Roy stood and put a hand on her shoulder, which Jade scowled at and shoved off. "Hide it all you want but I can tell you're scared. This is a lot for you too. Why don't we…wait a day or two? Just…take some time to think before we start making any big decisions. Deal?"

Jade hesitated for a moment, then sighed. "Ok, deal. We do have like 8 months before this becomes a reality anyways."

"Good."

"What'll you tell the kids?"

'Oh, God… Connor and Mia.' The thought of telling them was terrifying. "Nothing, for now. They're so excited about their graduation, I don't want anything to spoil that."

"Fine. But in 24 hours we're having a conversation about this…situation, whether you're ready for it or not. Deal?"

"Deal." It wasn't a lot of time, but it would give him a little breathing room to figure everything out. "Maybe you should…lay down or something…?"

"I'm fine."

"Ok, well… I'll be in the Arrow Cave if you need me."

"Mhm."

Roy nodded awkwardly before he left. 'I need to go shoot for a while. Shooting at targets will make me feel better. At least clear my head a little bit.' While he deeply wished he could just take off to Arizona— just to feel the relaxing, dry heat— he still had to pick up Connor and Mia from the dance in a couple hours. Not to mention he couldn't leave Jade. Because he knew, deep in his gut, that he couldn't abandon Jade. No matter what they decided to do, he had to stay by her side. So he would go the Cave and shoot arrows, calm down, then tomorrow deal with this…situation. 'I can't tell Connor and Mia yet. Not until I know what I'm going to do.' He definitely had to tell them soon though. Neither of them was stupid, so they'd start catching on in the next couple weeks that something was up with Jade. 'Boy, this could make everything a lot more complicated than I ever anticipated it would be.' Another reason to just focus on shooting now. Deal with everything later.

So when he got to the Arrow Cave, Roy filled a quiver with as many arrows as it could hold, then grabbed a bow. He lined himself up with a target, then closed his eyes. For a few seconds, everything was still. The only sound was his slow breathing as he inhaled and exhaled. Roy opened his eyes. He didn't think; he moved. His fingers jumped between the fletchings of his arrows and his bowstrings. The twang of the bow was a steady beat as arrow after arrow buried itself in the bullseye of the target. Roy didn't stop until he'd emptied his entire quiver. Even then though, he only stopped just long enough to yank the arrows out of his the target, then shove them back into the quiver and keep shooting. As usual, it was so easy when he was shooting. There was nothing but him and the target. Everything else just…melted away.

He was so caught up in his shooting, he almost didn't notice the time. The clock caught his eye. 9:50. Roy sighed as he slowly lowered his bow. 'I should probably go home so I can pick up Connor and Mia.' There was still their ceremony tomorrow with the certificates— which he absolutely couldn't miss, Mia had been talking about non-stop for two weeks— and they needed to be well-rested for it. So he pulled the arrows out of the target, then put his equipment away. Roy shoved his hands into his pockets as he walked home. He was definitely calmer than before, more clear-headed. But it also helped that he was purposefully not thinking about what he had to tackle the next day. 'Just focus on getting Connor and Mia home, then getting through the ceremony tomorrow. One step at a time.'

With that in mind, Roy went home, then drove to the school to pick up Connor and Mia. As he'd promised them earlier that night, he was waiting outside the school at exactly 10pm. He tapped his hands against the steering wheel, while he waited. 'Just…act natural. Don't let on to anything weird happening. Just act normal.' Because this was a perfectly normal time. "Hey guys," he greeted when both teens got in the back. "Did you have a good time?"

"I taught Connor how to dance," Mia said proudly.

"I don't know if it really counts as dancing…" Connor replied quietly.

"It totally counts. Shut up."

Roy chuckled a little bit as he drove them home. "I'm glad you guys had a good time," he said. "Maybe you'll think about going to more dances when you start high school?"

"…I don't know about that," Connor answered slowly. He'd heard high school dances were a lot…closer and more personal. It didn't sound like the type of place he wanted to be.

"You guys have plenty of time to think about it."

"And a whole summer break to patrol," Mia hinted, leaning forward until her face was practically next to Roy's. "Since we both made it through the 8th grade and all…maybe you could extend our curfew?"

"I'll think about it."

"He didn't say no," Mia whispered to Connor as she sat back. He just smiled a little in response.

"Not tonight though. You two need to go straight to bed when we get home. We've got a big day tomorrow."

"You still didn't say no."

Roy rolled his eyes.

When they got home, the apartment was silent when they walked in. He poked his head into the living room to find Jade fast asleep on the couch. He smiled a little, then pulled a blanket off the back and draped it over her. From the corner of his eye, he saw Connor and Mia looking on, so he nodded his head toward their room and put a finger to his lips. They nodded in understanding, then tip-toed toward the hall. Roy smiled a little as he watched Jade sleep. 'I can't deny the affection I feel for her,' he thought as he followed Connor and Mia silently. 'But it's not… It's like how I feel about Artemis or M'gann. She's my friends and I care about her.' Was just being her friend good enough to be co-parenting a baby though? Roy honestly didn't know, and he didn't know anyone he could ask either. This seemed like it was a bit outside Dinah's wheelhouse and while his relationship with Bruce was on the mend— the man had been calling him at least once a month to talk— Roy didn't think this was something he could talk to his former mentor about. 'Looks like I'll be on my own for this one.'

He'd been doing just about everything else on his own for the last year at least. What was one more thing?

— —

The next morning, Roy was up before anyone else. He had breakfast ready for when they woke up, ready for whatever stressful situations the day would bring. And something told him this day would bring quite a bit. By the time he was putting plates of eggs and bacon (tofu bacon for Connor) on the table, everyone else was up as well. "Morning guys," he said cheerfully. "Ready for today?"

"No," Jade answered grumpily. "I've already thrown up twice."

"Maybe you should see a doctor," Connor said, more than a hint of concern in his voice.

"I'm fine, kid. Just need some food and then sleep."

Connor looked at Roy, but he shrugged in response. 'That's weird. Wasn't Roy worried about Jade yesterday? Why wouldn't he be worried about her today?' Whatever it was, Roy wasn't likely to tell him. So Connor focused on eating his breakfast.

"Ceremony's at 10," Roy said as he sat down with his own breakfast. "You guys need to be ready to go by 9:30. Got it?"

"Mhm," Mia nodded. "Do we have to wear our uniforms?"

"Yes," Connor answered. "It was in the handout they gave us on the last day of school."

"That's so boring though."

"Boring or not, if you have to wear your uniforms, then you will," Roy told her.

"Whatever."

Roy smiled at his plate as he ate. 'At least they're excited. I'm excited for them. I'm happy they get to have these normal moments. And they've both worked so hard too. Making it through school on top of training as vigilantes. Not to mention how hard Mia's had to work for this. I'm so proud of these kids.' It might've only been a certificate ceremony, but Roy was very excited about it. (As long as he focused on the ceremony and celebrating Connor and Mia's accomplishments, not his impending conversation with Jade that night.) As soon as Connor and Mia finished their breakfasts, they ran to finish getting ready. Once he was alone with Jade, Roy leaned over and set his hand on hers. She gave him a look and jerked it away. "We'll talk tonight, ok?"

"Tonight," Jade agreed quietly.

"Do you want to come-"

"If you finish that question I'll throw you out a window. I don't care if you are the father of my child."

Roy choked, then coughed up the orange juice he'd been swallowing. Vaguely, he could hear Jade laughing at him. "Not..funny…"

"It was funny."

"Not funny. And don't say stuff like that until I talk with Connor and Mia."

"They're not even in the room, in case you didn't notice."

"Yeah well…they might overhear. Just keep it to yourself, please?"

Jade sighed and rolled her eyes. "Ok. Fine."

"Thank you." Roy finished his breakfast, then put his dishes in the sink. "We'll be gone for a few hours. Will you-"

"Straight out the window, hero."

A small smile graced Roy's lips against his will. "Yeah. Ok…" He left the kitchen to check on Connor and Mia, who were in their bedroom. "You guys almost ready to go?"

"We're ready!" Mia insisted as she finished tying her shoes. "Right, Connor?"

"Uh-huh," Connor nodded from where he was sitting on the edge of his desk. "I've been ready for a while."

"Shut up."

"Let's go then," Roy said. "It's a nice day, so I thought we'd walk."

"Sounds good." Mia stood up and looked at Connor. "Come on!"

Connor smiled as he stood, then let Mia pull him from the room. "Calm down, Mia," he said. "We're just getting certificates."

"I'm sure it'll be a nice certificate," Roy said as he followed home out of the apartment. "Besides, sometimes you have to celebrate the small victories in life." Especially in their lien for work. "And it's for something…normal. You guys should never underestimate the importance of having a normal life."

'Normal is overrated,' Connor thought as he finally freed his hand from Mia's grip. 'But…the dance was fun, so maybe there could be something worthwhile in this ceremony.'

When they got to the school, chairs were set up in the courtyard, facing a microphone and a Congratulations banner. There were no signs of the dance the night before. Connor led Mia over to where they were supposed to check in while Roy found a place to sit. He looked around curiously. 'I've never been to a ceremony like this before. I didn't even get to go to Dick's high school graduation.' Or had one himself. And truthfully he'd never thought about sitting here celebrating the milestones of…his own kids. 'Not that Connor and Mia are my kids. I don't even know if I'm old enough to be their dad. Or even qualified.' Qualified or not, he was happy to be here for them on their big day.

All the teens were seated in an area in front of the parents…or parental guardians and the principal of the school stepped up to the microphone. Roy didn't really listen to what he was saying (something about how big of a milestone this was and how pleased they were to have a 100% pass rate in the 8th grade) because he was trying to find Connor and Mia in the crowd. With their backs to him, they looked like every other teenager, but based on their last names, he was able to guess where they were sitting. 'And if I'm guessing right, then Mia is looking at her shoes. Figures.' Clapping jerked Roy out of his thoughts and he blindly started clapping along. The principal started reading off the students' names one by one. After their name was read, the student went up to the front to get their certificate, then went back to their seat. Roy clapped politely after each name as he waited for Connor and Mia's names.

"…Tyler Davis…" the principal read as the boy walked up to receive his certificate. "Mia Dearden…"

Roy smiled and clapped extra loud as Mia got her certificate. She hesitated for a moment in the front and craned her neck. Catching on, Roy raised his hand just enough for her to find him. She waved, then returned to her seat. A blonde boy on the other side of the aisle shook his head. 'Must be Connor.'

"…Olivia Gadd… Elizabeth Green… Connor Hawke…"

When Connor went up, he didn't look nearly as excited as Mia had. He still smiled though as he accepted his certificate and caught Roy's eye on his way back to his seat. The teen's head ducked down as he walked.

'Well, at least he looks happy,' Roy thought. Luckily, it was a small school, so there were only 40 students from the 8th grade. The ceremony ended just after an hour and Roy quickly wove through the crowd to find his kids. He found Connor first and wrapped an arm around the boy, grinning widely. "Congrats," he said. "How does it feel to almost be in high school?"

"About the same as it did to start middle school," Connor answered honestly.

"High school is way better than middle school. That's what I hear at least. Come on, let's find-"

"Roy!" Mia yelled, gently elbowing people out of the way to get to them. She finally broke free and smiled victoriously, holding up her certificate. "Look! I'm officially an 8th-grade graduate."

"I know. I'm very proud of you. I'm proud of both of you guys. You did great."

'All we did was make it through a grade at school,' Connor thought. 'I can understand why its a big deal for Mia, but for me? My mom always said my lowest bar in life was having a high school diploma anyways…' He looked down at his certificate as a pang of grief shot through his heart. Almost instantly— and without his permission— his eyes glazed over with tears. Connor sniffed and quickly stared wiping his eyes with the short-sleeve of his school shirt.

"Connor?" Roy asked hesitantly. "Are you…ok?"

"Yeah…" Connor replied quietly, voice quivering. " 'm fine…" A whine made its way through his closed lips and he wiped at his eyes with his sleeve again.

"Con…"

A gentle hand settled on his shoulder, prompting Connor to look at Roy. He sniffed a little.

"I- I know that I didn't… know her but… Your mom would be really proud of you. I"m sure of it."

For a moment, Connor just stared at Roy, taking in the sincerity in the man's eyes, then closed his eyes and nodded. 'I still wish she could be here,' he thought, still wiping at his eyes. Which felt like a weird thought because if his mom were there, he wouldn't be here with Roy and Mia. And he kind of liked his life with them. Being a vigilante and listening to Mia complain about whatever had irritated her that day from the bunk above. As much as he missed his mother, there were parts of his new life that he enjoyed. Which really confused Connor, because part of him felt like it was wrong to be so satisfied with his life without his mother. 'But… Mom always said she wanted me to be happy… So, she'd probably want me to be happy with my new life.'

Roy hesitated for a moment, then squeezed Connor's shoulder. "They have some refreshments. Do you guys want to eat here, or grab some lunch before we head home?"

"I'm cool with whatever," Mia shrugged. "Connor?"

"Uh…" Connor wiped at his eyes for what felt like the hundredth time. "We can go if you want to…"

"How about we grab lunch at that vegetarian place you like?" Roy suggested. "Then we can head home and you guys can enjoy your first day of summer vacation."

"Sure…"

Roy smiled at the teen, even though Connor wasn't looking at him, and gave him one last shoulder squeeze. "Let's go then. A good lunch to celebrate you guys moving on to high school."

"Let's go, Connor!" Mia said excitedly, trying to cheer him up.

'Lunch and then…mentally prepare myself for my conversation with Jade,' Roy thought as he followed them out of the courtyard. 'Looking forward to it…'

— —

Once they got home, Roy spent the rest of the day in his room. Not hiding— he was a professional vigilante and superhero, he didn't hide— just…thinking. 'What am I going to say to Jade?' he thought, pacing back and forth. 'I- I don't know what to say… I have such a hard time with Connor and Mia! If I can't handle teenagers, how can I handle a baby?!' Having a baby, an actual child of his own, was never something Roy had thought about. It'd just…never occurred to him. Which left him facing a situation he'd never thought he'd be in. 'How do I- I don't know-' There was a knock on his door, making him stop suddenly. "Uh…come in."

The door opened and Jade walked in slowly. "I know we said we'd talk at night," she said as she shut the door behind her. "but I'm tired of waiting. Let's talk."

"Ok. Uh… Do you want to sit?" Roy gestured to his bed and Jade only hesitated for a second before she sat on the foot. "So… What're we going to do?"

Jade sighed. "Well… The way I see it, we have two options. We can either keep the baby or give it up for adoption."

"Right…" Roy paced a few steps before he stopped and looked at her. "What do you want to do?"

"…I don't know…"

"You don't know?"

"No! I don't!" Jade glared at him, one hand resting almost defensively on her stomach. "I- I don't…hate the idea of keeping it- the baby. I know that doesn't make any sense because I'm an assassin. I don't really have any role models for what a functional parent should be like. I couldn't even stick around to take care of my sister. But… I don't know, maybe it's a maternal instinct thing, but I feel attached to the baby."

"Ok…" Roy nodded, rubbing the back of his neck with both hands. "Ok. So…you want to keep the baby?"

"Do you?"

"I- I don't know. I- I've never thought about being a father, Jade. It's …scary."

"Gee, wouldn't know anything about that."

"You know what I mean."

"So you don't want to keep it?"

"I don't know! I- I… What if I'm no good at it?" Roy's hands dropped and he wrapped his arms around himself. "I've had to work so hard just to take care of myself sometimes, how can I take care of a baby? How can I raise another human being when I feel like I'm constantly on the edge of losing it?"

Jade studied him with a calculating look for a few seconds. "You do know that you already have two kids, right? Obviously, a baby is different than teenagers, but its the same idea."

"But I'm not Connor and Mia's-"

"You're not their parent? Really? So, putting above and beyond effort into getting them into a good school, always making sure they do their homework, punishing them when they do something wrong, trying to impose them with those ridiculous values you hold so closely… Yeah, definitely doesn't sound like a parent to me." When Roy opened his mouth to argue, she pushed on. "You already balance parenting, running your own business, and keeping the whole damn city safe. So don't try to say that you can't handle responsibility, because it's a god-damn lie, and seeing as how you're half the reason we're in this mess, I'm not in the mood for dealing with it."

"…Uh…right…" Roy sighed and rubbed his face. "Ok, let's say, theoretically, we decide to keep the baby. How… How will that even work?" He lifted his head to look at Jade. "Will you live here? Somewhere else? What about your…work? Will you go back to it after the baby is born?"

"I haven't really thought about it to be honest… I'm taking this all step-by-step. I definitely can't go back to assassin work while I'm pregnant. And I don't really know where I would go if I don't stay here."

"And what about us?"

"What about us?" Jade tried to keep her heart from speeding up.

"Do you really think we can raise a kid together? I mean, I love being your friend, but I'm still, really not ready for…anything else yet. Not even this can change that."

"I know. But honestly, I think people in a less-functional relationship than us have raised a kid together."

Roy snorted a little. "Oh, I'm sure." He sighed again. "Look, I'm not…opposed to keeping the baby. I also know this isn't really a decision we can take back, but… you're right about one thing. I am half the reason we're in this mess. So it's my responsibility to…help you and the baby. I don't know what I'm doing, but I'll do everything I can to be a…good dad."

"So…we're going to keep the baby?"

"…Yeah… Looks like it." Anxiety played with Roy's nerves, but at the same time, the excitement was bubbling in his stomach.

"Good." Jade glanced behind Roy at the door, then back at him. "Are you going to tell the kids, or do you want to wait until I start showing and pretend like nothing is happening? Because I'm fine with either."

"No, no. I should tell them tonight. Especially if we're going to be…raising the baby. I want to be honest with them."

"Figures, hero," Jade smirked at him as she stood. "I don't have to be there, do I?"

"Not if you don't want to."

"I'm taking a nap then."

"Ok." Roy chuckled a little bit and gave Jade a small smile as he followed her out of the room. He went straight to Connor and Mia's room and only hesitated for a second before knocking.

"Come in!" Mia called.

Roy walked in to find Connor meditating by the window and Mia sitting on Connor's bed, looking at a magazine. "You guys busy? I have some…news to share."

"What's up?"

Both teens gave Roy their full attention as he sat on the ground. "I… Well…" He took a deep breath, then exhaled it slowly. "Jade is pregnant. With- With my child."

"With your…" Connor whispered, eyes slowly widening.

"Oh my God…" Mia just about breathed. "You guys had sex?!"

"Uh…" Roy replied, not sure what he could say to that. "That's not the point. Jade and I are having a baby." Neither of them said anything for close to half a minute. "Sound good?"

"You say that like we have a choice in the matter," Connor muttered. "So…you're going to have a kid?"

"I will."

"Huh. Ok." Connor closed his eyes, appearing to go back to his meditation.

"Ok… Mia?"

Mia shrugged. "What I am supposed to say?" she asked. "You guys aren't in a relationship, but you're having a kid together. Weird, but do you, I guess."

"Thanks… I think?" Roy stood and smiled at them. "I'm glad you guys aren't like…freaked out by this. It's going to be…an adventure. Something heroes don't run away from. Right?"

"Sure!"

'Just an adventure,' Roy thought as he left the room. 'A scary, exciting…life-changing adventure. One that Jade seems convinced I can do. I really hope she's right.'


	34. Changes Are Coming

[June 2015]

Roy hummed quietly to himself as he paced a few feet outside the Woman's Resource Center. The summer sun, while warm, wasn't warm enough for him. 'I still have to go back to my office today,' he thought. 'I need to grab those files and start conducting interviews for the runaway wife and take some photos for the affair case.' He should also drop Mia off at home first though, so she could eat. 'Food is probably a good idea. I'm still supposed to be feeding them.' The sound of the door opening behind him made Roy spin around.

"Hey," Mia said in surprise. "What're you doing here? I thought I was supposed to walk home after therapy?"

"You are, but I decided to walk you. I was feeling…restless and decided some fresh air would do me good." If the creeping anxiety that made it difficult to focus on anything of substance could also be classified as "restless".

"Ok."

The two of them walked in silence for a couple minutes before Roy started talking again. "How was therapy today?"

"Uh… Good. We played with make-up during Group."

"…You played with make-up?"

"Yeah. I mean, I've worn make-up before but this was…different. Before, I always and to do it because I had to look good for the clients and it was always done very strategically to make me look older than I was. But today, I got to play with make-up just to…play with make-up. I put on this horrible, bright purple eye shadow and blue lipstick. There was also a ton of blush, so I looked like a crazy person."

"Did you have fun?"

"I did actually. All the girls at school would always talk about how much they like putting on make-up, but I never really related. Make-up was always this…chore that I had to put up with. Today though, I could see the appeal."

"Do you think you'll put make-up on regularly?"

"Hell no. But…I wouldn't be opposed if we had another day of therapy just playing with the make-up and doing whatever."

"That's good. You should tell your therapist. I'm sure she'll be happy to see you taking such an interest in Group."

"Yeah, probably. She's really impressed with how I've been sharing and stuff."

"That's good." Roy was quiet for a moment. "I know that therapy has been a difficult thing for you to…see the benefit of, but I'm really proud of how much effort you're putting into participation in the last couple of months."

Mia shoved her hands into her pockets. "I just want out of the program. And that won't happen if I don't talk."

"No matter your motivation, I'm proud of you for trying."

"…Thanks." Mia looked away and Roy let the conversation drop. It was only a half an hour walk back to the apartment, which they spent in silence. It was a tense silence though. The silence was a mutual one due to neither of them feeling the need to speak.

When they got home, Roy stopped Mia just before she went into the building. "I have to go back to my office to get some work done. Tell Connor I said it's his turn to make lunch."

"Ok. Thanks, Roy."

"You're welcome. Behave."

"Of course."

Roy smiled a little as he turned and walked back toward his office. 'Hopefully, therapy will help her, even if she's just doing it to get out of the program,' he thought as he walked. 'I'll take it as long as it helps her.' And the walk had calmed him down enough that he felt like he could focus on his work for the rest of the afternoon. Despite it being such a small victory, Roy couldn't help but feel proud of himself for calming himself down from a prospective anxiety attack. And with something as healthy as a walk in the sun. 'It's nice to feel like I've regained some grain of control over my life.' Which was ironic, considering he had a pregnant ex-assassin living with him, who he was maintaining a purely platonic relationship with. 'Guess control comes in many forms. Plus, I have several months to work toward having a good grip on…that.' (It still felt unbelievable this was happening to him at all.)

Upon arriving at his office Roy gathered up the files he needed for fieldwork that afternoon. As he worked his mind wandered. Thankfully it didn't take him down any paths that induced anxiety, but it did pull his attention away from his work, no matter how many times he dragged it back. His brain kept going back over his earlier though. There was several months ahead of Roy that he could use to prepare for the arriving baby. Which brought him to a situation that had been weighing on him. Including the baby, there would be 5 people living in his small, two-bedroom apartment. Besides the fact that Mia and Connor were slowly accruing enough possessions each to make their shared room look cramped, Jade would be staying with them for the time being. And the baby would need a proper nursery, not just a bassinet in the corner, which was his and Jade's current idea on how to handle things.

There was an obvious solution to this problem, Roy needed a new apartment. Except he needed one place close to his office for professional and vigilante reasons. And finding an apartment with enough bedrooms wouldn't be an easy task. Roy sighed a little as he stood and wandered around the room. He ambled into the backroom with the stairs case. When he saw it, he stopped for a moment and stared. He hadn't been upstairs since he'd bought the building when he first came to Star, but a feeling, the fledgling of an idea spurred him forward and up the stairs.

The top floors of the building had once been apartments, back when the building had been operational. Now though the floors creaked under Roy's feet as he walked. The carpet was dirty and dingy, with colors so faded it was difficult to make them out. It was torn in some places, giving him a good look at patches of wooden boards underneath. 'It's still structurally sound,' Roy thought, trailing his hand along the wall. It came away dirty and he wiped the dust off on his pants. 'Electrical wiring and plumbing still work in the whole building.' He put his hand on one of the doorknobs and gave it an experimental twist but it was locked. Unfazed, he took a step back, then kicked in the door.

It banged open and Roy stepped inside. 'These walls could be removed to make an entryway and living room,' he thought as he walked around the living room of the rundown apartment. 'This whole floor…. 7 apartments, one room per person… One apartment per room….' Roy stopped and put his hands on his hips. "It would be a lot of work to renovate this whole floor. Tearing down the walls and everything. It's… On top of everything else, it would be a ton of work. Plus, it'd go against my reasoning of not living near my headquarters. Even if it would be nice to be closer in an emergency. And I wouldn't have to worry about getting Connor or Mia home if they're hurt; or myself." Not to mention, he would have more space. The kids could each have their own rooms, which he was sure Connor and Mia would appreciate. And they could have their own bathrooms, which may streamline getting them ready for school. "They'd have a longer walk to school, but only by like 10 minutes." He sighed a little. "It would probably be worth all the work.

There was also the small matter of him not knowing how to do quite a bit of the construction work. "I can learn though," Roy smiled. "And I'll have plenty of time. It'll give me something to work and focus on." There was also the feeling in his chest of wanting to take care of his family. 'I- I can give them a good place to live. Where they have plenty of space to grow. I'm capable. I can do this.' It was a difficult task, but he needed something to work on. Something to help him deal with all the changes that were coming. Roy nodded to himself, then went back down to his office. He dug through a filing cabinet before he found a set of blueprints and spread them out on his desk. His work now forgotten, he began making plans.

— —

When Roy got home later that night, he went right to Connor and Mia's room, knocking lightly on the door before opening it. "I have a surprise for you, guys," he said as he walked in.

"What is it?" Connor asked while Mia set her magazine down slowly.

"Another baby?" Mia added.

"…No. We're moving."

"….Moving?" Connor frowned. "Where?"

"My office building." When they gave him confused looks, Roy smiled. "We're going to be really cramped in here once the baby comes and it seems like you two could use some more space, so I"m going to be renovating the second floor of the building where my office is."

"We're going to be living above the Quiver?" Mia asked, now more relaxed and interested. "Cool."

"I thought you said that was too dangerous?" Connor asked.

"I did but…it'll make things easier in the long run. I'll make it work, don't worry."

"So, you're renovating the whole thing yourself?" Mia asked. "Do you know how to do that?"

"I don't, but I can learn. I have a pretty good track-record with learning things. I'm already looking at the blueprints and working out the layout of our new place but I want some input from you guys. You're each getting your own rooms, so I thought you could help me design them."

"What'd you mean?" Connor frowned.

"I mean, I want you guys to think about how you want your rooms to be decorated. Anything you want."

"…Really? Anything?"

"Anything."

"So…" Mia began slowly, her hands clenching into fists on her blanket. "If I wanted my room to be hot pink with sparkles?"

"That'd be fine."

"Really?" Connor asked, almost in shock. "She gets to have a hot pink, sparkly room?"

"Do you want one too?"

Connor shook his head quickly. "That's…great, Roy. Thanks."

"Yeah…" Mia echoed. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. I've got more work to do, but you guys get on your ideas. Got it?" They nodded, then Roy smiled at them before he left.

After the door shut, Mia swung her upper body down from the top bunk to look at Connor. "Is he really serious?"

"I've never seen him not serious about stuff like this," Connor shrugged.

"Yeah but… He's going to basically build us any dream room we want? Why?"

"I don't know. Maybe he just-"

"I swear to God, Connor, if you say just to be nice I'll come down there and smack you."

"Well, it's true, Mia. Roy just does stuff like this." He could tell the repose wasn't making her feel better. "I know getting gifts from Roy makes you nervous-"

"Nervous? I get nervous when it's small stuff, not a God-damned bedroom!"

"It's just the way he is, Mia! Besides, Roy's never asked for anything in return for stuff he gives you, has he?"

Mia rolled her eyes. "It's never too late to start."

"You should see this as a good thing. If Roy wants to give us our own special rooms, then he's not planning on getting rid of us."

"Why would he get rid of us?"

"Because- Because he's having a baby. He'll have his own, biological kid to raise. What if- What if he decided to it was too much work and got rid of us?"

Mia hesitated for a moment, not wanting to admit Connor had a point. "So you think this means he won't get rid of us."

"Yeah. It's a good thing. I don't want to leave, do you?"

"Of course not."

"There you go then."

There were a few seconds of silence. "So….if Roy's going to keep us, then are we basically adopted now?"

Connor froze and slowly looked up from his book. "You think we're adopted?"

"Well if he never gets rid of us, aren't we basically his kids?"

"…I mean… I guess?"

"So we're basically adopted. Cool." Mia swung herself back onto the top bunk. "I have no idea where my parents are and I'd rather be Roy's daughter than theirs any day of the week. You know?"

"Yeah…" Connor looked back at his book but didn't really comprehend any of the words. 'Has Roy basically adopted me? He doesn't really treat me like a son-' Except doing all the things Connor's mom had always done like help him in school and give him a good home. And it wasn't like Connor knew what having a dad was supposed to be like. 'I- I don't- I mean… I don't want it to be like I'm replacing mom…but Roy can't replace her because he's you know…a guy. Plus…mom would want me to be happy.' While Connor definitely wasn't sure where his relationship with Roy stood, he wanted to believe his guardian cared about him and didn't just think of Connor as some kid that fought crime with him. 'I guess I can start with…designing my own room and go from there…'

— —

Despite not having done any of his work that day, Roy continued to work on his blueprints that night. (He had all day tomorrow to work on his cases after all.) The planning had to be intermittently disrupted by looking up different construction and engineering concepts. Thankfully, his work with trick arrows and the years he'd spent cooped up in Wayne Manor with nothing better to do than read gave him a basic knowledge of everything. Some ideas needed double-checking to make sure they were structurally sound though. The more Roy planned and imagined, the more excited he got. His muscles practically jumped under his skin as he itched to start the work. Unfortunately, his phone started working, interrupting his work.

"Hello?" he answered without looking at who it was; still looking at his blueprints.

"Roy," Bruce said in greeting.

"Oh. Hey, Bruce. What's up?"

"I… I was wondering if you'd be interested in…coming home this weekend?"

Roy froze, his pencil falling from his limp hand. "You- You want me to come to Gotham this weekend?"

If Bruce noticed the slight change in word-choice that Roy used, he didn't comment on it. "Yes. I know it's been…a while since you've been here."

'Try two years.' Two years where a lot had changed in Roy's life; all of it without Bruce being there. "Yeah, I know."

"Well…"

There was a hesitant pause, which immediately had red flags going up in Roy's mind. People hesitated, but not Bruce. Bruce Wayne didn't hesitate. Batman didn't hesitate. It sent anxiety buzzing down his nervous system. Horrible scenarios began picking at the edge of his brain, but Roy forced himself not to focus on those. Instead, he took a deep breath and slowly asked, "What's wrong?"

"What do you mean? There's nothing wrong."

"You're hesitating and inviting me back to Gotham out of nowhere after over two years. What else am I supposed to think is happening?"

"There's nothing wrong, Roy. I swear. Everyone is fine. Barbara and Dick are fine…and so is Tim?"

Roy frowned, his brow furrowing as his brain processed that. "Who the hell is Tim?"

"Tim Drake. The Drake's son." Another second of hesitation. "And…the new Robin."

Everything froze. Roy's muscles, his breathing, heart, even his thoughts. It felt as if time itself had stopped. It took Roy some…unidentifiable amount of time to pull himself out of his shock. "The- The new…" He swallowed, then anger suddenly burned through his body. "The new Robin?! Are you insane?!"

"Roy-"

"You're really letting another boy- another child put on the Robin suit?! After what happened to Jason?!"

"Roy-"

"And it's not even your kid! It's someone else's kid! What the hell, Bruce!" Roy stood suddenly, one hand on the table keeping him steady. Behind him, his shouting had drawn the other three inhabitants to the doorway of the kitchen. "How can you possibly justify this?!"

There were a whole ten seconds of silence before Bruce started talking again. "He knows Roy. Tim knows who we are. He came to Dick, and then to me. He wants to be Robin."

"He's a child. You're an adult, you should be setting him straight."

"I tried, Roy. Believe me, I tried. But Tim was instant. He wanted to be Robin and honestly, I don't know if I would've been able to stop him." There was a second of silence. "I didn't want to do this, Roy. I really didn't, but…he's going to be great at it. I've been training him for months and he's more than ready."

Roy sighed and slowly sat down in his chair. "You've been training him?"

"Yes. For a while. He's ready to go out on the streets and I wanted to offer to let you come with us on his first patrol?"

"…Us?"

"Yes. Myself, Tim, Barbara, and Dick."

Roy had to stop himself from answering yes right away. It was everything he'd been dreamed of for months. Going back to Gotham, having his family back. Being with the people he loved and who'd supported him through the worst times of his life. But then he glanced back and saw Mia and Connor still standing in the doorway with Jade. The two teens were giving him equally concerned looks, while Jade just scrutinized him carefully, one hand resting on her hand resting idly on her stomach. Roy's gaze lingered on her abdomen before he turned away. "I- I don't know, Bruce."

"I understand if you don't want to come-"

"It's not that! I want to come! I really do, but…I have a lot of responsibilities in Star. It's not so easy for me to just…get up and leave."

"I know. But it would mean a lot Dick and Barbara if you came. And Tim."

"Even though he doesn't know me?"

"Dick's been talking about you almost non-stop throughout Tim's training. It's certainly piqued the boy's interest in you." Bruce chuckled quietly. "You're basically a legend to him at this point."

That made Roy smile a little bit. Again, the idea of seeing his family tugged at his heart-strings. "I don't know… I miss you guys and I miss patrolling with you, but… I do have a lot going on right now."

"Why don't you just come for patrol, then? You have access to the zetas, so you can come to Gotham for patrol, then go back to Star when we're done."

Roy opened his mouth to turn down the offer again, but then part of his brain pointed out how insistent Bruce was being. (For Bruce at least.) It wasn't like the man to continually argue with people about something like this. 'He misses me,' Roy realized sadly. 'He wants me to come back.' And given how Bruce was usually incapable of showing any emotion, using Roy's siblings and this Tim kid seemed like his best way to get Roy to come back. "Ok… Ok, I'll come back for one patrol this Saturday. But when it's done I have to come back to Star."

"Ok." There was another second of hesitation. "See you this weekend."

"See you this weekend." Roy hung up, then sighed and sat back in his chair.

"Are you going to tell him about us?" Connor asked after a few seconds.

"Hm?" Roy twisted around in his seat a little it. "What'd you mean?"

"You're going to Gotham this weekend. Are- Are you going to tell Batman about us?"

"Uh… Not right now. Things are still weird and…with this new Robin… We'll just wait for a while." He'd kept Connor and Mia's vigilante actives a secret from Bruce so far, what were a few more months? Roy looked at the time. "Time for dinner."

"So will Jade be in charge while you're gone?" Mia asked.

"Yeah, probably." Roy stood and gathered up his things. "She is the only other adult here." He put his stuff in his bedroom, then started cooking dinner, thinking about what was coming. Saturday he'd finally begging back to Gotham. He'd be stepping foot in the Bat Cave after two years. 'Hopefully, this is a sign everything's finally going to be ok. Maybe the worst is behind me. Again. God, I really hope so.'

A/N: Ok, a couple of things here. First, the third chapter of Sunbeams (entitled Tim) takes place between this chapter and the next one. Second, a heads up that there will be a big, time jump after this chapter. Let me know what you think!


	35. Life is Good

A/N: Alright, this is the last chapter before we get into season 2.

Enjoy and let me know what you think!

[November 2015]

The sound of crying reached Roy all the way in the kitchen. He smiled a little and quickly turned off the water. "I'm coming," he muttered to himself as he dried his hands, then headed towards his room.

"Should we get Jade?" Connor asked, his head popping up from the couch.

"God, no. This is the first time since giving birth she's been able to train. I'm not interrupting her for anything short of the apocalypse."

"Right…"

Roy went to his bedroom, where the crying got a lot louder when he stepped inside. "Awww," he cooed as he went over to the bassinet against one wall. Inside, a small— tiny to him— baby cried unhappily, tiny hands curled into fists and feet kicking out in her onesie. "Shhh…. Shhh…." Roy picked her up and gently cradled the tiny infant to his chest, letting her head rest on his shoulder, face turned away from him. He instinctively put a hand against her head to keep her stabilized. "Shhh…. Shhhh… It's ok. It's ok, Lian. Daddy's here. Shhh…" He bounced Lian gently as he paced the cramped space of his bedroom. "I know. I know. You woke up and Mama was gone. It's very scary." He kept moving for close to ten minutes until Lian cried herself out and eventually quieted. "There, that's better." He kissed her head gently. "I promise Mama is coming back later. She's getting some energy and aggression out right now. Come on, let's go see Connor." He carried Lian out to the living room.

Connor looked up from his book as Roy walked in. "Why was she crying?" he asked.

"Who knows why babies cry sometimes. She was probably upset Jade was here when she went to sleep and gone when she woke up."

"Does she even know who Jade is? She's like…two weeks old."

"I guarantee she knows her mother. Besides, the books say at two weeks babies can focus on faces." Roy knelt down, which prompted Connor to shove his book aside right before the man handed him the baby. "Can you hold her while I get a bottle?"

"Sure…" Connor gently moved his arms so he was cradling the baby in the exact way Jade had shown him. Her tiny head rested on his arm, keeping her head supported. He swallowed nervously as Roy left and Lian gazed up at him intently. "You're really loud, you know that? Mia and I sleep on the other side of the wall from you and we can always hear you at night." Lian just stared at him, tiny fingers uncurling as she reached up for him. "I know you're just a baby and crying is one of the three things you can consciously do, but still…" He trailed off as Lian's fingertips grazed his chin. "You're too cute, you know that? It's like a weapon." He gently rubbed her arm with his thumb. "Mia says you're an attention hog, but I think you deserve it. You did have to wait 9 months to meet your parents after all."

"You guys having a nice conversation?" Roy asked as he returned.

"She's got some fascinating ideas."

"I'm sure." Roy gently replied Connor of holding Lian, then settled down with her on the couch. "Are you and Mia all packed?"

"Uh… Mostly."

"Well, make that mostly a definitely. We're moving this weekend, so we have to be ready."

"Uh-huh." Connor grabbed his book and stood. He went to his and Mia's room, where Mia was laying on the ground, reading a book for school.

"What was Lian crying about this time?" Mia asked vaguely as she turned the page.

"Roy seems to think it's because Jade isn't here."

"Well, she does supply Lian with her food."

Connor's cheeks warmed at the reminder of walking into the kitchen a few days before to see Jade breastfeeding. "Please don't remind me."

"Oh please, Connor. It's…super natural. That's how babies eat."

"I know that! I don't have any problem with it… It's just-"

"Yeah, yeah. You don't like breasts. I get it."

Connor's cheeks warmed even more. "It's not that! Oh, forget it! Roy says we need to be all packed up to move this weekend."

"Why? It isn't like we have a lot to pack." Mia sat up and sighed. "We haven't even seen the new place. Are we just going to find out what it looks like when we get there?"

"Maybe. I mean…it's an apartment. What do we really have to see?"

"An apartment that Roy converted from the whole floor of an abandoned apartment building! You know it's gotta be like…amazing."

Connor shrugged as he grabbed an empty box. "Let's just get packed. Roy's busy enough with normal stuff, finishing the new place, and Lian."

"Ugh… You're right." Mia sighed again as she got to her feet. "Let's get this done so I can finish my reading. I can't afford to get behind in English right now."

"Mhm…" Connor tossed her an empty box, then went over to the bookshelf to pack his belongings.

— —

Roy spent most of the afternoon feeding Lian, then bouncing and rocking her. She didn't seem interested in sleeping unless he was providing some kind of motion. Any time he paused, after seeing her eyes slip closed and breathing even out, within seconds Lian would whine, her face scrunching up, then start squirming unhappily. So Roy was forced to spend a few hours bouncing her rocking her to keep her asleep. "You're giving Daddy an arm workout today," he whispered to the sleeping bundle in his arms. "Good thing I have great upper body strength." The sound of the door opening awn then closing made him turn his head.

A few seconds later, Jade walked into the living room, then gave him a small smile when she saw Lian. "How was she?" she asked quietly.

"A little grumpy, but not bad. I think it was a big adjustment for her waking up to suddenly not having you here. How was your work out?"

"Fantastic. It was good to finally be fighting again. Even if it was just one of your dummies."

"I'm glad. Do you want to take Lian so I can get dinner started?"

"Give her to me."

Very carefully, Roy deposited Lian in Jade's arms, then went to the kitchen. 'Hopefully, she'll be awake after dinner,' he thought as he started preparing their meal. 'I want to take the kids to the new place tonight. Just so they can see what it looks like.' Months of work had finally resulted in a new, very large apartment for his family. 'I know Connor and Mia will love their new rooms. They'll probably love having their own rooms, too. Lian is too young to appreciate hers, but she'll have room for a real crib and a swinger and all those other baby needs.' The cramped apartment meant while the infant had all the basic necessities, they were as basic as possible. 'She needs room to eventually crawl around and for toys and books.' Maybe he could even convince Jade to go with them. Unlikely, but there was always a chance.

A sense of excitement had filled Roy. This was a position he'd never thought he'd be in. Literally building his own home for a family- his family, (even if he still wasn't 100% sure about where his relationship with Connor and Mia stood, but they were family) while holding down his own successful business and protecting Star City. Part of him didn't want to think too hard on it, afraid that acknowledging it would bring down some kind of life-altering event, but it was hard to do that when everything was so…calm. It had been calm for months now. The most life-altering event he'd faced was Lian's birth. And while that had been scary, it wasn't horrible or traumatizing. The love he felt when he held the tiny baby girl- his tiny baby girl, outweighed the anxiety. Which was new for him.

When dinner was ready, Roy and Jade took turns eating for a few minutes, then holding Lian, because there wasn't enough room for a high chair in the kitchen.

"Bet you guys will be happy once we're living in the new place," Mia smirked.

"Can't wait," Jade muttered as she passed Lian off to Roy for his next turn. "She'll have a swing so we don't have to hold her 24/7 and she can sit in a high-chair."

"Can she even sit in one? She can't hold up her own head."

"They make special highchairs for babies as young as her," Roy said as he let Lion grab his finger with her fist. "She'll be fine." He smiled when Lian moved his finger into her mouth. "Your gums feel weird, baby girl."

"Ewww! Roy, we're eating!"

"Sorry." He gave Lian a wink before turning back to Connor and Mia. "After dinner, we're stopping by the new place so you guys can see your rooms." Still smiling, he gently pulled his finger from Lian's mouth. "Including you, little leech."

"She's not a leech," Jade frowned. She reached over and briefly stroked Lian's cheek. "She's a vampire."

"Yeah, that's better." Lian grabbed Roy's finger again, so he gave her his undivided attention for the rest of dinner. Once they finished, Connor and Mia took care of the dishes while Roy got Lian ready to go. He almost giggled at the extra-tiny booties he slipped on her feet. "They fit you perfectly, baby girl." Next, he put on a small sweater that buttoned in the front, then set her down in the bassinet to strap-on the carrier. When he was ready, he settled Lian in the little seat, nestled safely against his chest. Roy feather kissed her whip-like hair. "Let's go see if Connor and Mia are ready." He walked out into the living, where Mia snickered at him.

"You look ridiculous," she informed him.

"If Lian is comfortable, that's all that matters." From the corner of his eye, Roy saw Jade approach them, then put a small, pink hat on Lian's head. "You want to come?"

"Not a chance," Jade replied. She kissed Lian's hat gently, before giving Roy a look he knew meant 'watch her' before turning away.

Roy's arm subconsciously wrapped itself around her. 'I would never let anything happen to Lian. I'd rather die first.' But it was fine. They were just going to the new place, looking around, then coming home so he could drop Lian off, then he could take Connor and Mia on patrol. "Let's go guys. We're on a strict time schedule here."

"Uh-huh…" Mia hummed. "Just waiting on Connor."

Connor, who'd been ready for two minutes, shook his head. "You shouldn't lie around the baby," he said.

"She's two weeks old, Connor. She doesn't know what lying is."

"Let's go," Roy interrupted. "Out the door, you two know the way to the building." The two teens headed for the door and he tapped Lian's back a little bit in excitement as he followed.

— —

They entered the building through the backdoor, then Roy led the teens up the stairs. The came to the hall, then he led them to the door. "Ready?"

"Yeah," Connor replied, a hint of excitement in his voice.

"Mia?"

"Of course," Mia said.

"Ok." Roy unlocked the door, then stepped aside so they could walk in and look round themselves. After a few seconds, he followed them in. Just inside the door, he'd taken out the walls, leading only support beams to leave a large living room, at least twice the size of their old one. "You guys like it?"

"Whoa…"

"Over here is the dining room." Roy led them through the kitchen to another room. "We'll be able to have a bigger table. There's a bathroom over here, then the bedrooms are down here." He led them down the part of the hall that had been left intact. Each of the four, one-bedroom apartments had been converted into a bedroom. "Each of you has your own bedroom…and bathroom."

'My own bathroom?!' Mia thought excitedly. 'I've never had my own bathroom before!' She glanced over at Connor, who was busy looking at everything else.

"Mia, your room is on the left, Connor, yours is on the right."

Mia slipped past Roy and into her bedroom. There were no signs that it had been a small apartment before. The living room and bedroom were now one large room, the kitchen was no longer remotely kitchen like and was now a big, walk-in closet, with only the bathroom left intact. Mouthing hanging open a little, Mia slowly turned in a circle as she surveyed the room. Her heart started beating faster and her palms became sweatier. She swallowed as her breathing also slowly got faster. This room was for her. The whole, huge room was only for her. It was way more than anyone had ever given her…more than Roy had ever given her. Mia suddenly found herself for the ground, but was so upset she didn't even care.

"Mia?"

Someone was talking. Who was talking? The sound of the voice only made her heart beat faster though. Mia drew her legs protectively against her body and shivered as the ghost of a hand caressed her arm. Someone put a hand on her shoulder, but Mia swatted it away. "D- Don't-" Goddammit, she couldn't even talk she was so out of breath!

"Mia, I need you to listen to me. Just listen to me."

Distrust welled up in her chest, which next to the jackhammering of her heart and erratic breathing made Mia feel so out of control she wanted to pull her hair out.

"Just listen. Listen to the sound of my voice. You need to breathe. Breathe, Mia. In… Out… In…. Out…"

Mia tried. She really tried. It felt like she wasn't making any progress because her chest was burning, but she kept breathing. Despite the deep distrust, something in Mia's brain recognized the voice. The feeling of being-out-of-control prevented her from putting a name to the voice, but she somehow still knew it. So she kept breathing, her breaths slowly getting bigger and bigger. Eventually, her lungs were filling with air and after several long minutes, everything calmed down. Her heartbeat slowed, the jittery feeling disappeared with her fear, and she felt like she was back in control of her brain. Mia opened her eyes (when she'd closed them, she didn't know) to find Roy sitting in front of her, concern etched all over his face, Lian still strapped to his chest.

"Are you ok?"

There was a whole minute where Mia didn't say anything and Roy— thankfully— didn't rush her. They sat in silence, Mia just breathing until she could talk. "Sorry-"

"Don't apologize, Mia. You have no reason to apologize."

"I do!" Mia dug the heels of her palms into her eyes. "God, you sent so much time working on this and- And I love it! I do, but- My fu- freaking brain won't get with the da- dang program!" She slammed her hands down onto the carpet and glared at him. "I'm crazy, Roy!"

"You're not crazy."

"I freak out when I get things! It doesn't matter what you give me, whether its a box of chocolates, or an iPod, or this room…" Mia looked down and started tracing the carpet with her finger. "I- I just can't deal, Roy. It's such a normal thing but it…it freaks me the freak out."

Roy was quiet for a few seconds as he thought about what to say. "I understand how you feel, Mia. There was a time when I had an anxiety attack anytime an adult raised their voice around me. I once had a panic attack because I knocked a cup over in front of Batman. Trust me, I know exactly how it feels to freak out over seemingly normal stuff. I know what it's like when it feels like you can't control your own mind."

"Freaking…terrible."

"I know." Roy hesitated, then pushed on. "Do- Do you want it to stop?"

"Of course I freaking do." Mia lifted her head to look at him. "I don't…like this."

"Well, and I know you're not going to like my answer, but you need to talk to your therapist about it." When she opened her mouth to object, he pressed on quickly. "I know, I know, you don't like therapy, but that's the only way it'll get better. If you don't get help, it'll only get worse. It got better for me, but that's because I got the help I needed. You should do the same."

Mia looked back at the ground, biting the inside of her lip as she thought. Finally, she said quietly, "I'll think about it."

"Good. Are you ok if I go check on Connor, or-"

"No, I'm fine." She was emotionally drained but more or less fine. "I'm fine."

"…Ok." While Roy wasn't completely convinced she was fine, he also didn't want to keep pushing her. So he went across the hall to check on Connor. The boy was wandering around the perimeter of the room, slowly examining his room. "Uh… Do you like it?"

"Its…amazing," Connor replied.

"Did you see the alcove?" Roy led Connor over to a window, which overlooked the backyard, and was located in a small alcove. "I thought you could meditate here."

"Oh. Yeah, yeah. It's…perfect actually. Thanks, Roy."

"You're welcome, kid.I'm glad you like the room. I'm going to show Lian hers, then we have to get home, ok?"

"Mhm."

Roy poked his head in on Mia, who was now up and walking around her room. He nodded to himself then went to Lian's new nursery. While Connor and Mia's rooms were located in a short hall that branched off from the main hall. "Your room is across from mine, baby girl. Right across from your mother's room." He opened the door and walked in. "See? There's a couple of windows. I'll put your crib over here and get you lots of books and toys. Not right away, but eventually. Maybe one of those playmats I saw at the store where a little mobile hangs over you. Hm? What'd you think?" He looked down at her, but Lian was fast asleep. A small smile graced Roy's lisp as he rubbed her back. "With us living here, me working, and having the Arrow Cave below us…it's like having our own little world, baby girl." He paused for a moment, even though, logically, he knew she wouldn't respond. "Come on, let's go get Connor and Mia so we can go home."

Within five minutes later, he had rounded up Connor and Mia, and the three were on their way home. The two teens were whispering between themselves, so Roy let them talk. 'I'm glad they're excited to be moving,' he thought. 'I knew they would love the new place. Even if we had a couple of hiccups.'

— —

Patrol was uneventful. They'd only been patrolling every other day since Lian's birth (including a three-day break immediately after she was born), so Red Arrow had thought this might lead to an uptick in crime. He was wrong though, Everything was more or less the same, including the random night when everything was just really quiet. The worst criminals they came across was a couple of purse-snatchers, so Red Arrow let GA and Speedy handle them alone. He couldn't help the pride that blossomed in his chest as he watched the two younger vigilantes working cohesively and seamlessly as a team. 'They're getting so good,' he thought. 'Soon I'll be able to introduce them to everyone else. Connor has shown enough commitment to the life that it should mitigate any bad reactions about him being Oliver's son and Mia is skilled enough that I don't have to worry about trying to explain myself to people.' Everything was still a little busy, but once it was really settled down he'd introduce Bruce and Dick to the kids. Maybe after Christmas.

Connor and Mia were sent off to bed as soon as they got home. They got ready for bed in their normal routine, with Mia eventually finding her way onto her bunk while Connor settled down to meditate. "Are you feeling better?" Connor asked quietly.

"What?" Mia asked, propping herself up on her elbow.

"You had you know…an anxiety attack or something in your new room. Do you feel better?"

"Oh, yeah. I do." Mia laid down and stared at the ceiling. "Roy says I need to talk to my therapist about this."

"He's right."

Mia sighed. "I know…"

"If you know then why don't you follow his advice?"

"Because… Because I'm not used to talking about all this…stuff. You know? They have rules about snitches on the street and Richard…" She shivered involuntarily. "He didn't really like the idea of us talking about it to anyone. You know?"

"Hm…"

"But…it's different now. It still doesn't mean I'm comfortable sharing though."

"Do you trust your therapist?"

"She's nice and she listens so….yes?"

"Just remember she's there to help you, Mia. You can do it. I believe in you."

"Really?"

"Of course."

"Even if they decide I'm crazy?"

"Even then."

Mia smiled at the ceiling. "I'm holding you to that."

— —

Roy went to bed not long after Connor and Mia did. When he walked dint his bedroom, Lian was fast asleep, tiny hands curled into fists. Roy smiled a little bit as he paused by her, then blew her a kiss and got ready for bed. Jade was already asleep by the time he was ready, but he didn't try to wake her. He and Jade (after much arguing and eventual compromising) and both been sleeping in Roy's bed from month 6 of her pregnancy onward. She'd continued to sleep in his bed as she recovered from childbirth. While it was a little awkward given that the status of their relationship was still very much Just Friends, Roy had gotten used to it. (Plus it was only for a few more nights.) So he went to bed, two feet from Jade, and rolled over to sleep.

Everything was coming together. It was all, finally, coming together. He had it this time. Everything was going to be ok. It would be fine.

— —

Far above Star City, the Justice League's meeting had just finished on the Watchtower. Batman stood to leave so he could go straight home to meet Robin for patrol, but was sidetracked by Green Lantern, who created a glowing green barrier to keep him from leaving the room. Batman frowned, then growled low as he approached the other hero. "What do you want, Jordan?" he asked quietly.

"In a second," Hal replied. "Give everyone a minute to leave."

Batman was taken aback for a moment, not that he showed it. "Why?"

"Just trust me."

It was quite a statement about how much Batman secretly trusted Hal that he stayed in the meeting room until everyone else had left. Once they were alone, he took half a step closer. "Spill, Lantern."

"Oliver's missing."

Batman blinked, then the lenses on his cowl narrowed. "What do you mean he's missing?"

"There was an…attack at the prison site. We don't know who it was, but a couple of yellow lanterns we were holding there got away so our money's on the Sinestro Corps. Anyway, when they did the headcount of who was there once we got the situation under control, Oliver was gone. Him and like…a dozen other prisoners."

"Why do you sound so calm about all this?" Hal was admitting that a man they'd spent years trying to arrest had gone missing from the prison, but he didn't seem at all worried. "What aren't you telling me?"

"…That planet isn't exactly hospitable to human life, Batman. I need the protection of my ring every time I go. Most species can't survive any exposure. It's why the prison was built there. The building keeps them safe from the hostile planet environment."

"So when it was attacked and Oliver managed to get out…"

"I'd put all my cards on he ran as far as he could before the planet's environment got him. We can't search the whole thing, and there's a not-so-small lava problem on a lot of the surface so…"

"So…you think Oliver is…dead?"

"I don't know for sure, but…it's the only explanation that makes sense. Guy and John found the body of another prisoner who'd gotten out during the attack and died soon after his escape. It's not impossible to think the same thing could've happened to Oliver. Besides, what other explanation is there? How could he possibly have gotten off the planet, or even get back to Earth if he did?"

Batman was quiet for a few seconds. "The only logical explanation is that he's dead." He nodded slowly. "Very well. Anything else?"

"No, that's it."

"Good." Without another word, Batman let the meeting room, His mind was reeling. 'Oliver's most likely dead. Almost certainly dead.' There was a not so small part of Bruce that was pleased with this development. 'He's gone. For good. He'll never, ever be a problem again.' This is why he wasn't going to tell Roy. The archer had been doing so well, and Oliver had already been a non-problem for him for the last…almost five years. 'Roy doesn't need to deal with this. He already feels Oliver can never come after him again, and now he absolutely never will.' Roy didn't need to know. Oliver was dead. What more was there to it?


	36. New Year, New Lives

A/N: Ok, so technically, the season 2 plot is starting in the background of this chapter, but it's mostly some angst and family fluff.

Enjoy!

[January 2016]

"I love New Years," Speedy smiled as she stopped on a rooftop.

"Why?" Green Arrow asked, landing next to her. "Because Red's letting us stay out extra late?"

"Obviously."

"Are you guys keeping an eye on the bar?" Red Arrow asked over the comms.

"Yes," the teens answered at the same time.

"Oooh, group of three women across the street," Speedy said, nodding her head. Below them, three young woman— probably just barely 21, or using fake ID's— stumbled down the street, laughing loudly about something.

"Let's tail them," Green Arrow told her. They started running across the rooftops, parallel to the women. This was, as Red Arrow called it, New Years Duty. Keeping drunk partygoers from being killed, abducted, or otherwise hurt. It wasn't particularly exciting, but the young vigilantes were happy to do anything that let them stay out past their normal curfew.

The women turned down a narrow side street and Speedy sighed. "Why do people always think the side streets are a good place to walk at night? They're barely hospitable in the day."

"Come on." Green Arrow shot a zip-line across the street, then zipped down it. He flipped onto a building and ran to the edge. "It's so dark… How will we see-" A scream cut him off and he dropped to the street. There was some residual light from the main street nearby, so Green Arrow used it to his advantage. He could just barely make out the three women against the wall, but the sequins on their dresses made that easier. A small shuffling just to his right alerted him to Speedy dropping in next to him. As soon as she did though, he attacked. It was their usual M.O. Green Arrow went in for a close-range attack while Speedy covered from afar with arrows. As he got closer, it was easier to see the men, their dark clothes blending in, but he didn't hesitate.

The first one stumbled back with the solid punch to his back and half-turned toward the vigilante, but Green Arrow kicked him in the back of the knee. A red arrow zipped past his face to hit one of the other guys. From the corner of his eye, he saw the spark of the electroshock arrow, then mentally marked that guy as down. He grabbed the arm of another guy as he reached for one of the women. With one, smooth move, he twisted the man's arm behind his back, then shoved him away. The man stumbled but caught himself. He turned on the vigilante, who dodged his punch easily, then slammed dish bow into his face. The man dropped and Green Arrow turned back to the last one just as the man put a gun to one of the women's heads. The other two screamed and cowered, but didn't try to run.

"Drop the bow, kid," the man snarled. "Or I'll shoot." As if to prove his point, he jammed the gun harder against the young woman's head and she screeched.

"Ok, ok," Green Arrow said calmly. "Look, I'm putting the bow down…" He crouched and set his bow on the ground but as soon as he let go, a boxing glove arrow hit the man from behind. He let out a groan before stubbing to the ground. Green Arrow darted forward and caught the woman before she could fall. "Are you ok?"

"Uh-huh…" she nodded. "Th-Thanks."

"Are you two ok?"

"Yeah…" one of the women answered while the other just nodded.

"Ok." He picked up his bow as Speedy joined them.

"Police are on their way," she informed him. "These scum bags are restrained, so they're not going anywhere."

"Do you girls want to stay here and wait for the authorities, or would you like us to escort you home?"

"We're definitely not staying here," the woman who'd had the gun to her head said.

"We'll walk you home then. Speedy?"

"Lead the way, ladies," Speedy smiled.

"Nice kids…" one of the women muttered as they walked down the street.

— —

After they took the women home, Green Arrow and Speedy ended up escorting almost a dozen more people home safely before Red Arrow called them home for the night.

"The streets are pretty empty," Speedy said in Green Arrow's ear so he could hear her over the bike.

"Good," he replied. "Then people won't be in danger."

When they got back to the Arrow Cave, Red Arrow was already there, typing at the computer. "Successful night?" he asked.

"Helped lots of drunk people," Mia replied as she took off her quiver.

"That's what we're all about here. Helping people." Roy glanced at the time, then yawned. "You two get undressed, then head upstairs."

"What about you?" Connor asked.

"I have to write some reports. I'll be up soon."

"Ok." As much as he wanted to argue to let them stay and help with reports, they'd been patrolling since 8 pm New Year's Eve. 'And it's now almost 2 am, New Years Day.' Exhaustion pulled at all his muscles, making it harder and harder to walk as he wen to change. By the time he was actually out of his suit and climbing the stairs, he had to clutch the railing for support. Connor blinked and rubbed at his eyes as he slowly climbed up to the apartment. When he got there, it took him exactly 2 minutes to get to his room, then get ready for bed. 'To tired,' he thought as he fell face-first onto his bed. 'Somehow I don't think I'll be up for sunrise meditation.' Distantly, he heard his bedroom door open, then close.

Mia moved as silently as possible as she laid her blankets on the ground, then laid down. 'Finally,' she thought as she pulled her weighted blanket over herself.

"Have a nightmare already?" Connor asked as he pulled himself under the blankets.

"…Not exactly." Mia was quiet for a few seconds, staring up at Connor's ceiling. "It… It just brought back a lot of bad memories."

"The patrol?"

"Yeah. Seeing all those women…almost being taken advantage of. All those…animals preying on them." Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. "I don't wish that violation on anyone, Con."

"…I'm sorry, Mia."

"New Year's was always a busy night, you know? Lots of drunk men wanting to ring in the new year by screwing some teenage girl they didn't even know." Mia clenched her teeth to keep herself from crying. "I don't want to go to sleep."

"You have to. It's late."

"If I go to sleep, I'll have a nightmare."

"Mia-"

"I don't want to have a nightmare."

"I know, but you're probably just as exhausted as I am. And I'll be here. If you have a bad dream, I'll be right here to help you. Promise."

"…Fine." Mia turned over and closed her eyes. She didn't go to sleep though. Within minutes Connor's breathing evened out. For a while, Mia just laid awake, staring out at the darkness, before her eyes became too heavy and she finally fell asleep.

— —

A high-pitched noise bombarded Connor's unconsciousness. At first, he ignored it, trying to remain asleep. The sound persisted though, pushing through his sleep and dragging him back into consciousness. He sighed low, but the high-pitched noise made him open his eyes. 'Is someone…crying?' he wondered, still fighting against his drowsiness. The high-pitched sound did seem like someone was quietly sobbing. Connor frowned as he sat up and turned on a light on his bedside table. The crying was coming from Mia, who was curled on her side. "Mia?" He didn't get a response, so Connor got out of bed to crouch next to her. "Mia?" It looked like she was still asleep, which was confirmed when Connor put his hand on her shoulder and she rolled over suddenly.

Mia grabbed the hand that grabbed her and had the fingers bent back before she could even think. It took her brain a second to realize who the and belonged to. "Oh!" She released Connor's hand with a slightly guilty look. "Sorry."

"It's fine." Connor shook his hand out a little bit. "Are you ok, or-"

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure-"

"It's fine, Connor!" Mia almost winced at the edge to her voice. She didn't mean to be so angry with Connor. He always showed concern for her when she had a bad dream, and never judged her or denied comfort. 'Connor doesn't judge anyone. He's weird like that.' Weird, but reassuring to her. Mia took several deep breaths and when she looked up, Connor was still there, waiting patiently. She sighed. "Sometimes… Sometimes I dream that…none of it's real."

"None of what?"

"It. This…" Mia gestured vaguely to the room around them. "You, Roy, Lian, Jade. This house. Speedy. It's all…just a dream and I wake up… I wake up back with Richard… I'm with him in my old life and none of this ever happened." She wiped quickly at her eyes as tears started to run down her face.

"Hey, it's ok." Knowing that Mia didn't like being touched, especially when she was upset, Connor kept his hands to himself. "It's ok, Mia. I'm here. You're here. We're both here and safe."

"I know… I know…"

Connor was quiet for a minute. "Do you feel better?"

"…Not really."

"Do you want to go back to bed?"

"…Not particularly."

"Ok." Connor crossed his legs and bit back a yawn.

Mia gave him a tired look. "You can go back to bed you know."

"No, it's ok."

"Connor-"

"I don't want you to stay up alone, and you're not going to bed."

"You're so dumb." Mia was quiet for a few seconds, watching Connor's head nod just slightly. She sighed. "I guess I can try to sleep."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"…Ok."

Mia watched as Connor got back into bed, biting her lip. She spoke quickly before her brain could stop her, "Connor?"

"Hm…?"

"Can- Can I sleep with you?"

Connor frowned. "You want to sleep with me?"

"I mean… I want to sleep near you. You make me feel…better. I don't want to like…cuddle or actually…touch you."

"Oh, well… I think there's enough room for both of us without having to touch."

Slowly, Mia climbed onto the bed and slipped under the covers.

As she did, Connor moved her os he was on the very edge on his side and rolled over so he was laying on his side, trying to maximize the distance between them. "Is this ok?"

"Yeah. This is…fine. Would it be ok if we let the light on?"

"Of course." Connor yawned, then closed his eyes. "Goodnight, Mia."

"Night." Like earlier that night, Mia was awake even after Connor fell asleep very quickly. It felt safe being near him. In the year they'd spent sharing a room, she'd gotten used to him there. It was comforting. Eventually, she fell into a dreamless sleep.

— —

It was mid-morning by the time both Connor and Mia were awake. When the latter walked into the living room, she found him watching the news. She sat in one of the chairs, curled up under a fluffy blanket. 'Please don't say anything…' she thought desperately. Even though Mia could still clearly remember how upset she'd felt when she'd woken up from the nightmare, another part of her was embarrassed by her wanting to be sleep close to Connor. He didn't mention it though, just flipping through the channels until he started watching the news. 'He probably won't,' Mia thought as she snuggled under her blanket. 'Connor never mentions stuff like that.'

Connor, meanwhile, half-watched the news and half-read a book, when a gasp from Mia made him look up. "What?"

"Look!"

Following her gaze, Connor turned to the tv and froze. "Is that…an alien?"

"Looks like it."

"Morning," Roy said as he walked in, feeding Lian.

"Roy, look!" Mia said excitedly. "Aliens!"

Roy glanced at the tv as he sat on the couch, then back down at Lian.

"And?"

"Really? That's your reaction?"

"What'd you mean?"

"It's an alien!"

"And? Superman's an alien. One of my friends is a Martian."

Connor couldn't help but laugh as Mia sat back in defeat. "I think you ruined her day," he joked.

"Try not to take it too hard, Mia. I'm sure you're still a little tired after last night. We all know aliens exist, this isn't new information. It's not some crazy conspiracy theory."

"Damn…" Mia sighed as she pulled the blanket tighter. "There goes all my fun."

"I'm sure you'll find something else to keep you occupied."

"Like napping before I have to go back to waking up early?"

"And practicing with our new trick arrows," Connor added, going back to his book. "We have to keep practicing so we can use them on patrol."

"We do have to practice with those arrows."

"Not today though," Roy interrupted. "You guys need to rest."

"We're well-rested!"

"How about you guys keep Lian company while Jade and I try to catch up on some sleep?"

"You want us to watch her?" Connor asked nervously as he looked up from his book. "Are you sure?"

"She's 2 months old, Connor. It's not like she's going to attack you. You guys held up on your own pretty good last night, I think you can handle one infant between the two of you." Roy yawned. "I'll burp and change her, so all you'll have to do is keep her occupied for a few hours. Please?"

"We've got this," Mia said. "Don't worry about a thing."

"Ok."

Connor shut his book as Roy left with Lian. "What're we even supposed to do with her?" he asked.

"I don't know… Watch cartoons? She got a bunch of toys for Christmas, we can play with some of those. If you're so worried about it, go get some from her room."

"Fine." Connor left the living room, then made a quick pit stop in his own room to drop off his book before going to Lian's. He went over to the big wooden chest, then started pulling some out. A couple of rattles, since Lian really seemed to like those, blocks made of a soft, but weirdly tough material, a couple of her stuffed animals, and a few of the soft books. Arms now loaded down with stuff, he returned to the living room, where Mia and Lian were sitting on the floor. Mia had put on Sesame Street, so Lian was currently captivated by the letter C. "Roy go to bed?"

"Yeah, the poor guy could barely keep his eyes open. I think he was up into the morning writing reports."

Connor put the toys in a pile in front of Lian. "Ok, here we go."

"Look, Lian. Look." Mia grabbed a rattle and waved it in front of her face. Slowly, Lian drew her attention away from the puppets on the tv to look at the toy. She smiled and grabbed at it. Her hand closed around it, then shook it excitedly. "You like that?"

Connor smiled and put his hand into the pile, only for Lian to hit him with the rattle. He drew his hand back and gave her an offended look while she laughed. "She did that on purpose!"

"Oh please… Connor, she's literally 2 months old. Why would she hit you?"

"I don't know."

"I'm sure she didn't mean it. Look at that face."

Connor looked down at Lian, who looked back with her wide, brown eyes. He sighed. "Fine. I'm sure it was- ow!" The rattle hit his hand again, so he moved back an inch. "You're mean."

"Connor!"

"She hit me!"

"She's a baby. She doesn't know better. Huh, Lian? Tell Connor you don't mean it- ow!" The rattle hit her fingers and she jerked them back. "Hey, that's not nice."

"Why don't we give her a softer toy?" Connor slowly reached into the pile to pull out a rattle that had a donut shape on the bottom half and a tiny, plush dog on the top half. "Look, Lian. Want this one instead?" He shook the dog rattle gently to get her attention. Lian grabbed at it with her other hand, but Connor pulled it away. "No, give me the plastic one first." Lian just stared intently at the dog rattle. She held out her hand expectantly. "No, give me the plastic rattle."

Lian made a cooing sound and held out her hand again.

"Just give her the toy, Connor," Mia said.

"She has to give me the hard one first," Connor explained. "We're trading."

"She's 2 months old, I don't think she can understand bartering."

"You never know. Come on, Lian. All you have to do is give me the plastic rattle and I'll give you this one." Connor shook the dog rattle in front of her face again, which made her whine a little.

"Just give her the toy! We're supposed to be keeping her quiet while Roy and Jade sleep."

"…Fine." Connor handed Lian the softer rattle, which she held victoriously in her other hand. She excitedly shook both of them and laughed.

"Now was that so hard?" Mia took a few of the soft blocks and started stacking them.

"…Guess not."

For a while, the three of them sat there quietly playing with the toys. Mia stacked blocks while Connor read the soft books and Lian alternated her short attention between shaking her rattles and Sesame Street. Every once in awhile, she'd try to hit Mia or Connor with one of her rattles but they wise stayed far enough out of her reach.

"Do you think it's strange that Elmo has a pet goldfish?" Mia asked out of the blue.

Connor looked up at the tv and considered it. "I mean…Mickey Mouse has a pet dog, so why can't Elmo have a fish?"

"I guess, but he lives in a crayon house. How does he feed it"

"With fish food, obviously."

"And what's up with this Mr. Noodle guy?"

"He's Elmo's neighbor. It's not rocket science, Mia."

"Yeah, but he's an adult. Doesn't he have a job?"

"…Maybe he works the graveyard shift?"

"Doing what?! Elmo just had to teach him how to open an umbrella!"

"Don't question the logic of a red puppet who lives in a crayon house with his pet fish. Right, Lian?" Connor looked own at Lian, who just smacked at him with her rattle. "It's not nice to hit."

"Get him, Lian."

"Don't tell her that!"

"Us girls gotta stick together."

Connor glared at her. "She's at a very impressionable age. You can't teach her stuff like that. She's like a sponge."

"She just started grasping the concept of object permanence. I don't think we need to worry about her remembering this kind of stuff."

"You don't know what she'll remember. Babies are smarter than you think."

"What're you teaching my baby?" Jade asked as she walked in.

"Mia's teaching her to be violent."

"I'm not teaching her anything!" Mia objected.

Jade smiled as she picked up Lian. As she held her, Lian hit her in the head with the sift rattle and laughed. "A headshot. Nice aim, baby girl."

"See, Mia's encouraging that," Connor said. "Also, should we be concerned about how excited she gets by violence?"

"It's genetic." Jade winked at Connor, then kissed Lian and set her back on the ground. "Play nice, kiddies."

"Your mom is weird, Lian. And kind of scary." The infant just hit him in the face with the soft rattle. "Mhm. I hear you."

Mia laughed as she watched Connor play with Lian. 'You'll learn a lot of good stuff from Connor, Lian,' she thought as she resumed stacking the blocks. 'He'll teach you how to be a good person. It seems like he's got that down.'


	37. Goodbye and Goodnight

A look of disgust curled on Roy's face when the sound of G. Gordon Godfrey greeted him. It was coming from the tv, where Connor and Mia were watching Godfrey's show.

"-Justice League finally provided scanners to every government on Earth to root out those filthy little aliens posing as real human beings," Godfrey said, leaving toward the camera like it was interested in what he was saying. "But you have to wonder, how were they able to whip up this tech so fast?"

"Why are you guys watching this garbage?" Roy asked as he crossed his arms.

"Social studies," Connor answered. "We have to write about the recent alien invasion from different perspectives."

"And this is what, your conspiracy theory perspective?"

"Blame the school," Mia said as she scribbled something in her notebook.

"They're the ones making us watch this clown. Bet you he's an alien."

"How do you figure?"

"Throws people off his scent if he's anti-alien like this."

"Wouldn't surprise me. Turn it off as soon as your done. We don't support Godfrey in this home."

"I'm done," Connor said. "Mia?"

"Yeah, I think I have enough for a paper."

"We can also compare notes." Connor turned the tv off. "Better?"

"Much."

"Have you heard anything about the alien invasion?" Mia asked, rolling over so she was laying on her back.

"No, but I doubt it'll stay that way. Batman will reach out when he has enough information." Which Roy hoped would be soon, because he had a lot of questions and wanted answers.

— —

Unfortunately, those answers didn't come until a couple weeks later, as soon as Red Arrow stepped off his bike, his comm beeped. He gestured to Speedy and GA to change as he put his hand to his ear. "Red Arrow," he said.

"I need you to come to Gotham," Batman replied in place of a greeting.

"Right now?" There was a hint of amusement in the archer's voice as he made to follow his proteges and change out of his suit.

"Yes, right now."

Red Arrow stopped dead in his tracks. "What's wrong?"

"No one's hurt."

"That's not an answer."

"I can explain better if you just come to the Cave."

"Does it have something to do with that explosion I saw on the news on Malina Island last week?"

"No. That was an…unrelated matter."

"I can't just drop everything-"

"This is important, Roy."

Red Arrow sighed, then slowly nodded. "Yeah… Ok. I'll be there in 15 minutes." His hand dropped from his comm as Mia and Connor approached him with concerned frowns.

"Is everything ok?" Connor asked.

"Did Batman say something about the explosion?" Mia asked at the same time. "Did someone get hurt?"

"No one is hurt." Or so he says. "But I have to go to Gotham tonight."

"Why?"

"I don't know, he wouldn't tell me. Can you guys just tell Jade I'll be home soon?"

"Mhm," Connor nodded. "Be careful."

"I will. Everything will be fine. Bed, when you get upstairs. Both of you."

"Bye, Roy."

"Bye," Mia added as Red Arrow walked back to his bike. They watched him leave silently, then stood there for a minute. "What'd you think's going on?"

"No clue." Connor shrugged. "Everything's fine though. Roy can handle everything."

"That's true."

"Come on, let's go upstairs. See if Jade needs any help with the baby."

"Mhm."

— —

Red Arrow drove his bike out of the zeta tube and drove down a Gotham street. 'What could Bruce possibly want to talk to me about?' he wondered as he drove toward the Bat Cave. 'If no one was hurt on Malina Island, then what else is going on?' He'd talked to Bruce on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Dick and been quiet since New Years, but Roy had chalked that up to getting busy with the Team again. 'I'll just have to wait until I get there.' Thankfully, it didn't take long to get there. When he drove into the Cave, Batman was sitting at the computer, with Dick, Barbara, Tim, and Alfred standing around him. 'Oh…this should be fun,' Roy thought as he got off his bike.

"Hey, bro!" Dick said excitedly as Red Arrow approached. "Glad you made it."

"Well, B didn't give me much of a choice," Roy said as he took his mask off. "What's up?"

"I have to leave Earth," Bruce said, once again not bothering with a greeting.

"Why? Where are you going?"

"Rimbor."

"Where is Rimbor- No, why are you going to Rimbor?"

"That's… Do you remember when Savage and Kalrion broke onto the Watchtower five years ago?"

It definitely didn't escape Roy's notice that Bruce was leaving someone out of that explanation, but he didn't mind. "Yeah, I remember. What about it?"

"Do you remember the missing 16 hours where I and several League members disappeared and we had no idea where?"

"Did you finally figure it out?"

"Unfortunately," Barbara muttered.

Roy frowned. "What'd you mean unfortunately? What happened?"

Bruce sighed. "Apparently, while under the control of the Starro-tech, we…may have attacked the planet," he explained. "People got hurt. Innocent people"

"Yikes."

"Big yikes," Barbara agreed.

"We're going to Rimbor to stand trial and clear our names."

"You're going to be on trial?" Roy asked, suddenly concerned.

"There's no need to worry, Master Roy," Alfred reassured him. "These actions were taken while Master Bruce and his comrades were…not themselves. We're certain they'll be able to clear their names."

"I hope so. When do you leave?"

"In a few days."

"You gonna come see him off with us?" Dick asked brightly.

"Of course." Roy wouldn't give up the opportunity to potentially say good-bye to Bruce forever. "Is…that all?"

"Yes," Bruce said as he stood. "Tim, are you sleeping here tonight?"

"Yeah," Tim nodded. "My parents are in Brazil this week, so I'll probably stay until they come home." Bruce nodded, then walked away, presumably to change.

"Are you staying for a while?" Dick asked Roy.

"I can't. I have to go home."

"Really?!"

"What do you have going on in Star that you always have to be there?" Tim asked curiously.

"Yeah," Barbara agreed. "What kind of Ponzi scheme are you running out there?"

"It's nothing. I'm just busy. There's…a lot of crime," Roy replied, trying not to seem evasive. Part of him watched to tell them about Connor and Mia. About his tiny baby girl, probably fast asleep in her crib. The way Connor had sat with Lian in his lap while he mediated on Rōhatsu. How Mia had read Twas the Night Before Christmas to Lian on Christmas Eve (with bonus commentary passing judgment on the characters.) Because he had to keep his kids safe. Protecting Connor from the inevitable judgment other heroes (mostly Bruce) would have for him. 'I was going to do it soon, but with Bruce leaving the planet….seems like he's got enough going on. Maybe I should just wait until he comes back.'

"Yeah, I get busy," Dick agreed, rubbing his hair a little bit. "Things have been…crazy with the Team since New Years."

"Any chance that explosion I saw on the news at Malina Island?"

"…Yeah. That was…not fun."

Tim rolled his eyes. "Yeah, that's one way to describe that traitor Kaldur trying to blow us all to kingdom come," he muttered.

Something slammed into Roy's stomach and momentarily knocked the wind out of him. "K-Kaldur was there?" he asked quietly.

Dick and Barbara gave Tim equal looks of disappointment, which he visibly shrunk under. "Timmy, what was that we said about not telling Roy about Kadlur?" Dick asked.

"Sorry…" Tim muttered.

"It's fine, Dick," Roy said dismissively, waving it off with his hand. "It's fine. I'm fine."

"Uh-huh…" Dick replied.

"It's true. I am." Roy swallowed. "So… Kaldur was at Malina Island?"

"Yeah. He tried to blow up everyone but, we got away."

"So he's…really…gone to the dark side, huh?" He tried to keep the hint of hopefulness out of his voice. Judging by the glint in Dick's eye, he definitely noticed.

"He attacked all of us. Including Aquaman and L'gaan."

"Who's L'gann?"

"Aquaman's new protege."

"…He has a new protege?" Somehow that surprised Roy, even though he knew, logically, that Aquaman was bound to get a new protege eventually. It still hurt though. He couldn't shake the feeling like Kaldur had been replaced. 'But Kal…he's a villain now. A bad guy. He's trying to blow up my friends!' While it was exactly where Roy knew he'd end up because of his choice, it still hurt to know.

"Yeah. He's an ok, kid. Still learning." Dick shrugged, then looked Roy in the eye. "I know it's hard for you, Roy, but Kaldur's not coming back to us."

"I know. I- I know."

"If you ever get too lonely out in Star you're welcome to come on a few missions with us," Barbara offered.

"Yeah!" Tim agreed excitedly.

"Thanks, guys. I'll…keep that in mind."

"At least stop by more often," Dick said. "We miss you around here."

"I know. I miss you guys too." Roy looked at the time and sighed. "I really have to go home. Let me know when Bruce leaves for Rimbor. I want to be there."

"Will do. Get home safe."

"I will. Bye guys."

"Bye, Red," Barbara smiled. "Get some sleep. You look tired."

"Bye, Roy," Tim said.

Red Arrow put his mask back on as he walked back to his bike.

— —

When he got home, he checked on Connor and Mia, who were asleep. He passed by the nursery, then smiled a little as he walked in. "Did she wake up?" he asked, nodding his head at Lian in her arms. The baby cooed quietly and reached for her mother.

"Of course," Jade replied. "Any of those baby books you read give away when she's supposed to start sleeping through the night?"

Roy chuckled as he walked closer and gently ran his fingers over Lian's soft hair. "Why don't you just read it yourself?"

"Because I have maternal instincts. Besides, we both don't need to know all that stuff. That's what I have you for." Jade stroke Lian's cheek. "Why the summons from the Bat tonight?"

"Mmm… League business he wanted to tell me about. Here, let me take her." He let Jade put Lian in his arms then stepped back so she could leave. Roy smiled and hummed while he bounced Lian in his arms. "Shhh… Time to sleep now, baby." Roy shushed her again, then quietly started singing,

"Ahala ahalago naashá gha̧

Shí naashá gha̧, shí naashá gha̧

Shí naashá lágo hózhǫ́ la

Shí naashá gha̧, shí naashá gha̧

Shí naashá, ladee hózhóó lá

Ahala ahalago naashá gha̧

Shí naashá gha̧, shí naashá gha̧

Shí naashá lágo hózhǫ́ la

Shí naashá gha̧, shí naashá gha̧

Shí naashá, ladee hózhóó lá."

Roy repeated the lullaby a couple more times before Lian was fully asleep. He smiled softly and kissed her forehead. "My dad used to sing that to me, you know? When I was really small. It's one of my earliest memories." Very, very gently, to not wake her up, Roy laid Lian down in the crib. He stroked her cheek gently and stayed there for a few seconds, just watching her sleep. 'Sleep well, my baby.'

— —

It was a few days later that Red Arrow found himself outside Mount Justice. He looked directly at Batman, trying to ignore the beach behind them. As much as he was definitely over Kaldur (absolutely over him) the sight of the sand and seawater still brought back memories he'd rather not think about. So he focused solely on Batman, trying not to think about how this might be the last time he'd see his mentor.

"Be careful, alright?" Nightwing asked.

"I was about to say the same thing to you four" Batman replied evenly. "I fear we leave the more dangerous task here on Earth."

"We'll manage."

For a moment, Batman glanced at Red Arrow. Despite how capable he knew the archer was, it was hard to turn off the part of the Bat that regretted leaving him. 'It isn't as if I've been around to help him lately.'

"Time to go!" John announced.

'Oh, well.' Batman trend away from his kids to join the others. 'At least I'm leaving him knowing there's no way Oliver can hurt him.'

'Bye. Bruce,' Roy thought as he watched Batman join the other League members living for Rimbor. He glanced at the other proteges gathered on the beach with them. Despite everyone knowing the seriousness of the situation and why it was necessary, why their mentors had to leave, there was still an element of sadness to the air.

"May the gods be with you all," Wonder Woman told them.

No one moved or said anything as John created a green spaceship around them and they flew away into space.

"It'll be ok," Nightwing said quietly.

"Think so?" Red Arrow asked.

"Of course. Why? Don't you think so?"

"…I don't know." Red Arrow looked up at the star-filled sky. "I just…got a bad feeling."

"I'm sure it's nothing to worry about. They'll clear their names and be home in no time."

"I hope so."

Nightwing turned to his brother and smiled. "Want to patrol Gotham with us?"

"Can't." Red Arrow shoved his younger brother away gently. "But, if you guys really need me, I'll be there. Don't hesitate to call."

"We won't. Come on guys. Let's go."

'Be safe, Bruce,' Red Arrow thought as he followed the others back inside Mount Justice. 'Good luck. Given what's been going on, I feel like we're all going to need it.'

A/N: Things are slowly getting more intense.

The song Roy sings is one I found online. My research turned it up as a lullaby so, I apologize if it is a) not a lullaby and b) if the words/translation are wrong.

Translation:  
I am going in freedom  
I am going in beauty all around me  
I am going, I am going in beauty  
It is around me


	38. Like Real Heroes

A/N: Sorry, this chapter is so late. I kept getting distracted while I was editing. Anyway... Enjoy!

'I already hate geometry,' Connor thought as he slammed his locker door shut. 'Algebra was bad enough, why did they have to add so many triangles, too?'

"Hey, Connor," a familiar voice said behind him and he jumped.

Connor turned around and swallowed. "Hi, Alyssa…" he said quietly. Part of him wanted to just walk away and go to art, but another part felt that would be rude.

"How was your break?"

"…Fine. You?"

"Good. I went to Coast City to visit my grandparents. Did you go anywhere?"

"Nope. Just…stayed home."

"That's too bad. At least it was relaxing." She took a step closer, making Connor take a step back. The metal handle of his locker poked into his back.

"Uh-huh… Well, nice talking to you, but I should…go."

"Oh come, on, the passing period doesn't end for another three minutes."

"Yeah, but I have to go to art and it's…you know… All the way on the…second floor…" Which took approximately 30 seconds to get to from his locker.

"So, you have time." Alyssa stepped closer again, making Connor back up more. He tried not to wince as the metal dug into his back.

"Uh… Alyssa… I'd appreciate it if you…you know..stepped back?"

"Why? You don't think I'm pretty?" She flipped her hair over her shoulder.

"No- I mean, yes! Yes, of course, you're pretty! And I…like pretty girls…" His voice got quieter as he talked.

"Good." Alyssa stroked his arm, making Connor squirm uncomfortably. It made her roll her eyes. "Come on, Connor. Calm down."

"I'm calm. I'm you know…cool…"

"Uh-huh. Why are you so nervous? Most guys are practically jumping over themselves at this point. Unless…you don't like it when girls give you this kind of attention?" There was a sharpness to her gave that made Connor nervous.

"No! I do! I- I do, it's just… I don't want to be late for class. I like being on time."

"Sure, sure."

Thankfully, Alyssa stepped back and something in Connor's chest loosened. "Uh…see you."

"Bye, Connor." Alyssa winked, then blew him a kiss and left.

Connor took a deep breath. He counted to 10 in his head, then practically raced up the stairs to his art class. Thankfully, none of the teachers saw him, or he'd definitely have gotten detention for running in the hall. But he made it to his class unscathed and sat in his usual seat. His table partner was already there, pencil scribbling in his sketchbook as usual. Connor watched him for a few seconds, trying to see what it was. Then the boy looked up and Connor's heart stuttered. The boy had black hair that and dark green eyes, which looked at him curiously like he wasn't sure who Connor was. (Which made sense because they'd been sharing a table for two weeks already and had never said a word to each other.) Connor opened his mouth, but nothing came out. His brain wasn't on board with the whole…speech plan. The boy titled his head to the side just slightly, as if asking if Connor would say something. Suddenly terrified to say a single word though, Connor could only close his mouth and look away.

There was a burning in his cheeks and his stomach flip-flopped. Connor swallowed, then put his head down in his arms to hide his face. 'He's so…nice looking,' he thought miserably. 'I- I should say hi or something. Be neighborly.' He glanced at the boy, who'd gone back to his drawing. Connor quickly looked away. 'I can't talk to him! What if I say something stupid? I could say I like his drawing…but what if he thinks that's weird? Like…if I tell him and he thinks I'm watching him like a stalker? No, I shouldn't say anything. Plus…what if he thinks I like him?' Which he did. 'But I say that…he might call me a freak or worse. I'll just stay like this until the class starts. Maybe until I graduate.'

Thankfully, when class started, the boy's attention was split between listening to their teacher talked about using watercolors and his own drawing. Class passed by quickly, with Connor making a very sad attempt at a rainbow with his watercolors.

"Hey, that's not too bad," a voice said. Connor froze and slowly turned toward his table-mate. "I mean…it's not good, but it's not horrible either."

Connor just stared, unable to say anything. 'He's talking to me! What do I say?!'

Before he could decide on something, their teacher walked over and put a hand on his table-mate's shoulder. "Kyle," he said. "What's the class rule about supporting each other's artistic endeavors?"

"Sorry, Mr. Neil," the boy- Kyle said.

"What do you say to Connor?"

"I like your rainbow, Connor."

"Thank you. Now focus on your now painting and not on your own…private work. Hmm?"

"Yes, Mr. Neil."

"Good work, Connor. Keep painting."

"Yes, Mr. Neil," Connor murmured, moving his paintbrush around in his watercolor tray. Even though he went back to his painting, he thought about the short conversation. 'So his name is Kyle? Good to know.' This would defiantly make it easier to start a conversation with him. 'About what though? He's really talented and I'm…well I try.' Connor spent the rest of the class finishing his rainbow and thinking of things he could say to Kyle. By the time class was almost over though, he had nothing. When he finished painting, he put his paper on the drying rack. By the time he got back to his seat, the bell rang and Kyle grabbed his bag.

"Bye, Connor," he said as he darted out of the classroom.

Connor watched him go and waved a little before scowling at himself. 'Stupid, stupid, stupid,' he thought as he grabbed his backpack. 'I'm such an idiot. Who waves? I'm not five.' At this rate, Kyle wouldn't even give him the time of day. 'I don't see why I should expect anything less, either. I mean, what do we even have in common? He's this crazy talented artist and I'm…just me. What am I supposed to say? Hi, I'm Connor. I'm a Buddhist, my mom is dead, my father is in space prison, and I'm being raised by a guy my father abused when he was just a teenager?' Connor shook his head as he stopped at his locker to grab a textbook and swap out some notebooks before heading to meet up with Mia.

"Took you long enough," Mia said when he found her outside the entrance to the high school building.

"Yeah, yeah-" Connor froze when someone grazed his back with their hand. He glanced back at Alyssa, who blew him another kiss. He shivered before pulling on his windbreaker. "Come on, let's go home."

Mia was quiet for a few minutes until they were walking down the street and several yards from the school. "So, you and Alyssa are…friendly still?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Come on, Connor. You can talk to me." When he glanced away she sighed. "Come on, Connor, you don't have anything to be embarrassed about. She kissed you-"

"Shh! Do we really have to talk about that?"

"Fine. What did she do today?"

"How did you know-"

"Call it woman's intuition. So?"

Conor sighed. "She just…talked."

"That's it? That's what has you so jittery?"

"And…she was you know, close to me. In my personal space and all that."

"Did you tell her that leave?"

"I told her I wanted to go to art class, but she was right in front of me and I was against my locker-" He stopped when Mia swore under her breath.

"That girl. You should just let me punch her-"

"No! Don't hit anyone, Mia! That's…wrong!"

"But this girl kissing you without your consent and holding you hostage at your locker isn't?"

"She wasn't holding me hostage. And that was one-time last year."

"It still happened. Either you tell this girl to back off, or I will."

"Please just leave it alone, Mia. I don't want any trouble."

Mia didn't say anything. 'Someone should do something. He can't go to the teachers. If someone finds out he's complaining about a girl bothering him, the poor guy will never live it down. I'll have to do something though. I can't let Alyssa keep taking advantage of Connor like this. He clearly doesn't like it and he's too…nice to do anything on his own. Connor's really embraced the whole chivalry aspect of being a hero. I'll think of something though. I'll make Alyssa back off.'

— —

When they walked in the front door, Lian was in the living room with Jade. Mia immediately dropped her bag and sat next to the playmat Lian was laying on. "Hey, cutie," she beamed. "How was your day?" Lian babbled in response. "Exciting."

Connor smiled as he grabbed her bag. He dropped it in her room, then went to his own. 'If I get a jump on my homework now, I'll have more time to practice before patrol tonight,' he thought. Even though the new semester had just started, high school was already proving to have a lot more work; and it didn't help that he'd tested into a couple of higher-level classes. Even if Roy had taken them out for ice cream to celebrate, the extra homework was proving to be a pain the neck. 'I don't have as much time to practice before patrol anymore. And I can't just practice on the weekends. Roy said he practiced practically day and night to get as good as he is.' Which was probably a good reason why he didn't have the courage to talk to Kyle. 'I don't have time for…whatever this is. I don't even have any friends. I just need to stay focused. Roy is finally starting to let us go off by ourselves. I have to keep getting better."

Someone knocked on his door, but it opened before he could say to come in. Mia walked in and threw herself down on his bed. "Are we going to practice with some of the new trick arrows tonight?" she asked him, hanging upside down off the edge.

"Not if you don't get your homework done," Connor replied, opening his geometry textbook.

"Ugh! I hate Algebra. You passed last year, will you do it for me?"

"Absolutely not."

"Jerk." She sat up suddenly and smiled at him mischievously. "So, I was thinking-"

"Uh-oh…"

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

Connor sighed. "Every time you have an idea, we get in trouble."

"We don't get in trouble every time. Besides, this is a good one."

"Fine, what is it?"

"We should ask Roy about joining the Team!"

"Team?" Connor set his pencil down and spun around in his chair. "What Team?"

"You know Roy's team. The one he founded! With the other sidekicks!"

"Why?"

"Why not?! Come on, you don't want to go on top-secret missions to save the world and get to work with other teenagers who are also heroes?! Like Robin and Batgirl! I mean, they're practically Roy's adopted family, we should work with them!"

"It would be cool…" Connor tapped the eraser of his pencil off the desk.

"Do you think he'll say yes?"

"Why wouldn't he? We've been working hard and we're good enough together that he's letting us go off without him on patrol."

"That's true… Do you think we're ready though?" The last thing Connor wanted was to make himself look like an idiot in front of a bunch of other sidekicks.

"Of course we are! Let's ask Roy tight before patrol. I'm sure he'll say yes."

"Well…ok. But you'd better go get your homework done though. Or you're not going anywhere tonight."

Mia rolled her eyes, then climbed off his bed and left Connor's room.

He went back to his homework, but his mind kept going back to the conversation. 'I hope Roy says yes,' Connor thought as he worked his way through his math homework. 'It'd be so cool to work on the Team. Roy's been on it, so that's probably what I need to do if I want to be a great hero too. Plus, it's being run by his younger brother right now. It'll be great!' The excitement/anxiety over asking Roy kept preoccupying Connor while he worked. He was barely done with his homework by dinner (in which he and Mia kept looking at each other), so he doubled down to get it all done by patrol. He'd just finished writing the last word on his essay when Roy called for them.

"Connor! Mia!" Roy yelled. "Let's go!"

"Coming!" Connor called back. He grabbed his shoes and ran out of his room. When he got to the living room, he only stopped long enough to put his shoes on. Mia came running in, attempting to put her shoes on while in motion.

"You know, that'd be easier if you stopped and sat down first."

"No time! We gotta go!" Mia replied.

"And you guys do remember you don't need res, right? We're just going downstairs."

"..Shoot, you're right." Mia kicked her shoes off. "Come on, Con!"

"I'm coming. I'm coming," Connor muttered. He'd just gotten his laces tied, so he kicked dish shoes off and stood up. "Ok, let's go."

Roy chuckled as he kissed Lian, then handed her off to Jade. "You be a good girl for Mommy, ok, Lian?" he told her.

"Come on, Roy!" Mia called.

"I'm coming guys." Roy shook his head as he followed them out the door. 'Why are they so excited tonight? It's just an ordinary patrol since we wrapped up that drug trafficking case last night. Must be a side-effect of going back to school. They've probably got a lot of energy.' Understandable for two 15-year-old vigilantes that had spent their winter break chasing down criminals. 'That's good. They'll be plenty focused and eager once we get on the streets. I should set them up in the Cliffvale neighborhood tonight. Make sure they get enough exercise.' Predictably, Mia and Connor beat him downstairs and were already in the process of getting their suits on when he got there. Roy just smiled and shook his head as he changed into his own suit.

"When should we ask?" Connor whispered to Mia once they'd changed into their suits and were filling their quivers.

"…Now," Mia told him. "We ask together. Deal?"

"Deal." They shared a small high-five, then quickly put the rest of the necessary arrows in their quivers before standing. Connor looked around. Roy was over at the computers, checking on something like he usually did right before patrol. "Hey…Roy?"

"Hm?" Roy responded stilling reading whatever was on the screen.

"Uh… We had a thought."

"And what is that?"

"…Mia and I want to join the Team."

Roy froze and looked back at them. "What?"

"You know," Mia supplied helpfully. "Your team. The one with all the cool sidekicks? We want to join."

"…No."

"Why?!"

"Mia…" Connor said, trying to calm her. Getting upset wouldn't get them anywhere. "Why not?"

"Because… Because you're not ready." Roy winced at his phrasing, which only earned more outrage from Mia.

"What do you mean we're not ready?!" she demanded. "We've been working so hard! We can even take a few blocks by ourselves!"

"I know. I know-"

"So why can't we join?" Connor asked.

"There's a difference between taking down a purse snatcher and taking down A-list villains."

"But you joined the Team when you were our age. Heck, you founded it!"

"I know, but that's different."

"How?!" Mia demanded.

"It- It just is! I had more experience by the time I was your age. I'm sorry guys, but the answer is no. Maybe in a few more months." Part of Roy cringed at the upset looks on their face. Mia glared at him before putting on her mask while Connor just looked on sadly and tied on his own mask. Roy sighed as he turned back to the computers. 'I don't want to crush their hopes like that,' he thought. 'But…I can't let them join the Team. I just can't. If I just show up at Mount Justice with a hero named Green Arrow…. I know it was before a lot of these kids' times, but… That's still kind of a notorious name. Who knows how they'll react, not to mention the League. Plus…I'd like to introduce Connor and Mia to Bruce and the rest formally before I put them on the Team. I mean…they're my family. They deserve to get to know the kids.' And there was the fact that Roy was just…worried about them. 'They're good kids, but… I don't know if they're ready to go out and save the world yet. A few more months of training, especially with the new trick arrows I've designed, and then they'll be ready. Just a few more months. Plus, maybe Bruce will be back from Rimbor by then and I can let them meet Batman. I'm sure they'll love that.' He put his mask on, then turned around. "You guys ready?" All he got was two nods. "Alright, let's hit the streets!"

— —

Green Arrow and Speedy were silent as they started out the patrol. They started with the neighborhood Red Arrow and pick out for them, where he left them on a rooftop. "Ok guys, stay in this neighborhood. Eight blocks in either direction from this spot. Got it?"

"Mhm," GA nodded.

"Good. I'll be on the comms if you run into trouble. Watch each other's backs and stay on your toes." Red Arrow waited for a moment but didn't get a response. "Ok, then. I'll be back for you guys in a few hours." The pair of teens just turned away silently. He sighed. 'They'll get over it,' he thought as he drove away. 'A good night of patrol and they'll forget about it.'

It remained silent between Green Arrow and Speedy as they took to a rooftop to look for trouble.

"I can't believe he said no," Speedy sighed eventually. She glanced over at Green Arrow. "Well… Say something!"

"Nothing to say," Green Arrow replied quietly. "He said no." And clearly didn't think they were good enough. 'Yet. We're not good enough yet. But we can get better. I can get better. I have to.' He spotted some men following a couple of teens down an alley and nudged Speedy. "Let's go." They zipped to the ground, then ran after the men. Following their usual routine, Green Arrow pulled ahead so Speedy could cover him from behind. He entered the alley in time to see one of the men holding a teen against the wall by his shirt. The vigilante focused on this one as he came upon the man very quickly and punched him in the face. It forced the man to release the teen, who sprinted out of the alley. Green Arrow pulled an arrow from his quiver and shot it at the man's feet. The glue dispersed quickly, solidifying before he could attack the archer. "Don't you know you shouldn't pick on kids?"

"Yeah?" Speedy added as she shot an arrow at another man, covering him in fast hardening foam. "Not very manly to go after a bunch of kids like this."

"Kind of cowardice if you ask me." The fight was over before it even began really and within the minutes, the two young vigilantes had the men restrained. Green Arrow alerted the police as they made their way back to the rooftops. Speedy sighed when they got there, making Green Arrow give her a strange look. "Why so bummed?" he asked. "I think that was one of our fastest takedowns ever."

"It doesn't matter if Red's never going to let us do anything other than chase down criminals."

"He didn't say he'd never let us join-"

"Practically!"

"What he said, was that we weren't ready yet. If we keep working, we'll be ready soon!"

"Are you sure?"

"Of course. We'll keep working and in a few months…he'll have to realize we're ready."

"Really?"

"Of course."

"…Ok. If you say so."

"Then let's go keep catching and guys. The more we practice, the sooner we'll be ready to join the Team."

The prospect seemed to cheer Speedy up because she gave him a mischievous smile. "What're we waiting for then? Bet I can take out more criminals than you!" She took off running across the rooftops and Green Arrow watched her smile for a moment before he followed.

Meanwhile, Red Arrow had just left a crime scene. He ran down a side street, then another, a slight smile on his face. 'God, I love working with the kids, I do; wouldn't trade it for the world, but I kind of miss doing this alone.' It was nice to be patrolling without having to look over his shoulder every other minute to check on GA and Speedy. Part of himself guilty for thinking that, but he couldn't help it. It was just too nice to have a little bit of time to himself, especially while knowing the younger vigilantes were watching each other's backs. As soon as he started walking down a back alley though, the small smile left his face and any sense of freedom vanished.

There was a dead body in the middle of the alley, a small puddle of blood under it. However, it wasn't just the body that disturbed him. As Red Arrow got closer, his eyes were drawn to the projectile sticking out of the woman's neck. When he was right next to her, his hand shook as he reached for the arrow sticking out of her. It was pitch black, including the fletchings. His fingers had just about fazed the synthetic feathers before something inside of him jerked his hand back. 'Killed with an arrow?' he thought, stomach-churning. 'Oh God.' Swallowing, Red Arrow stood and did a quick search. Nothing in the immediate area gave him any hints as to who this woman was, why she'd been killed with an arrow, or who had killed her. Red Arrow put his hand to holo-glove to alert the police, but he froze.

'I have to call the police,' he thought, hands still hovering above his wrist. 'I have to. But…the arrow…' It felt like a weird order of priorities, but the sigh of that arrow made him hesitate. 'I've worked so hard to cultivate a good relationship with the police. To convince them I'm not like Oliver. That I won't attack their men or kill the citizens.' And if the police showed up and found this woman dead with an arrow in her throat…it would ruin everything. The police would definitely label him as suspect number one. 'I'd have to start dodging bullets again. Not just me, but Connor and Mia too.' And if the police thought one of his kids had killed this woman? Especially the one who had named himself after the very vigilante that had spent years murdering people with arrows…

Very slowly, Red Arrow's hand fell from his wrist. Trying to ignore the voice in his head that insisted he was doing something wrong, he pulled the arrow from the woman's neck. 'It doesn't change that much,' he thought, holding the arrow by his side. 'I'll still tell the police where she is. They'll still know she's dead. Her family will still find out and they'll still open a homicide investigation. This will just…make it harder to figure out what killed her. Besides, there are no security cameras or anything back here. Even with a murder weapon, a case like this will be hard to solve.' And he'd be working the case too. 'I can work the case with the murder weapon while the police do it without. This isn't just to protect me, it's to protect Connor and Mia too. The last thing I need is the police thinking any of us murdered someone, especially the kids.' Mind made up, Red Arrow snuck back to where he'd left his bike.

First, he left an anonymous tip to alert the police as to where the body was, then went back to the Arrow Cave. Despite having touched the arrow. He took it to the small "forensics lab" and go to work. 'It's covered in the woman's blood, but maybe I can pull some DNA or fingerprints off the shaft to give me a clue,' Red Arrow thought as he worked. While he'd touched the arrow himself, his gloves were specially designed not to leave any fingerprints on his evidence. However, there was nothing on the arrow. "Killer seems petty smart. Probably wore gloves to prevent leaving prints." He sighed and studied the arrow carefully. The arrowhead had a double barb, making it extra lethal, but nothing about it stood out to him. "Looks like a perfectly normal arrow to me." Looked like he'd have to do some detective work. Red Arrow put the projectile in a metal box to keep it hidden. 'I don't want to scare Connor and Mia. I'll keep working the case and solve it before this gets too far.'

— —

Back in their neighborhood, Green Arrow and Speedy were having a good patrol. Their contest of trying to catch the most criminals had led to seven separate take-downs in the following two hours.

"What's the score now?" Speedy asked as they left their latest crime scene.

"Six for me, five for you," Green Arrow replied.

"How do I only have five?! I took down that guy with the brick."

"I took him down."

Speedy stopped and crossed her arms. "How do you figure?"

"I shot the brick out of his hand."

"Well, I shot him with an electroshock arrow."

"…How about we split-" Green Arrow froze suddenly, making Speedy frown.

"GA?" she asked quietly, immediately lowering her voice. "What's up?"

"Nothing I…" Green Arrow looked around, but they were alone in the alley they'd stopped in. "I just…had a weird feeling."

"What kind of feeling?"

"Like we're being watched."

Speedy glanced around, but there was no one there. Granted, they were also standing in a shadow, but there was no movement around them or telltale sounds of someone nearby. "You think we're being watched?"

"No, but… Forget it. I'm probably imaging things. I just had a funny feeling and last time it happened we got jumped by that gang. It's probably nothing though."

"Well…why don't we keep moving? Just in case?"

"Sounds good." The two vigilantes walked down the alley and turned down the side street on the other side. However, they only got several yards down this street until they saw a familiar red liquid. "Oh no…"

"Geez…" Speedy sighed. "We have to go investigate the blood don't we?"

"Yeah…"

"Ok. You first."

Green Arrow rolled his eyes as he pulled an arrow from his quiver. He nocked it to his bowstring as he entered the alley. It was narrow, much narrower than most of the alleys in Star, forcing them to walk in single file when they reached a dumpster. On the other side of a dumpster though, Green Arrow came to a sudden stop. He barely even noticed when Speedy bumped into him.

"What is it?"

"….He's dead…"

"Huh?" Speedy pushed Green Arrow to force him to move closer to a wall. As soon as he moved though, she got a good look at the body and her stomach dropped. "GA…?"

"Yeah?"

"Is… Is that an arrow in his chest?"

"Looks like it…"

The man was propped up against the wall opposite Green Arrow. A black arrow stuck out from between his ribs and a river of blood trailed from the body, which was what had caught their attention. For a few seconds, neither of the vigilantes said or did anything. "What do we do?" Speedy asked.

"Call Red. We- We have to call him. This… This feels…weird."

"Agreed."

Green Arrow put his hand to his comm, unable to pull his eyes away from the dead man less than a few feet from him. "Red Arrow?" he said, trying to keep his voice from shaking.

"Yeah?" Red Arrow answered.

"We- We found a body."

"A body?" There was a tenseness to Red Arrow's voice. "Where?"

"An alley just off Greenwall Ave. By a record store."

"Ok, I'll be right there."

"And Red? The man…it- It looks like he was killed by a black arrow."

There was a solid thirty seconds of silence before Red Arrow said, "I'm on my way right now. Keep your bows nocked and stay on your toes. Don't touch anything. Got it?"

"Got it." Green Arrow pulled an arrow from his quiver, then nodded for Speedy to do the same. "Red's on his way."

"Ok," Speedy nodded. 'Just the two of us…and this dead guy in a narrow alley. Cool.' She shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably. 'Someone just…murdered this guy with an arrow. That's so…weird. Who would do something like this?' Whoever it was, she had the distinct feeling she and Green Arrow were about to face their first real test as heroes. And standing in that dim alley, it terrified her.


	39. Not A Date

A/N: Here's the next chapter! Enjoy and let me know what you think!

Red Arrow sighed as he put his head in his hands. After a few seconds, he adjusted his hands enough to rub the back of his neck.

"Goods news?" Mia asked from where she was putting away her quiver.

"The police found another body," Red Arrow answered. Without needing to turn around, he could tell Connor and Mia were looking at him in shock.

"Like… Like the ones we found last month?" Connor asked quietly.

"Yup." A month of fruitless investigations that yielded nothing about the victims or why they'd been murdered. There was no apparent connection between the victims (a 21-year-old female bartender and 50-year-old male bank teller) and any information he'd dug up on them didn't give away any information about who might want them dead. There was nothing even remotely non-average about them. It was as if the arrows had just…been created out of thin air and randomly chose those two people. 'Which wouldn't make any sense,' Roy thought. 'Arrows don't just appear out of thin air to murder people.'

"Why would the killer wait like…three weeks before killing again?" Mia asked.

"It may not be the same person."

"What makes you say that?"

Roy sighed and spun around in his chair to face them. "First, other than the cause of death, I have no reason to believe these deaths are related. There was no connection between the first two victims, so this could be a coincidence."

"Hell of a coincidence."

"I agree, but there's no good reason to jump to conclusions and create a serial killer where one doesn't exist. Second, all of my diggings have yielded…uneven reports about murders via black arrows from different places all over the world. About a dozen reports from the last 20 years."

"So this is some…fad we never knew about?"

"I don't know. There's still a lot of unanswered questions. But it doesn't seem like a…present danger to the safety of the city, so I think we can let the police handle it for now." It was too late for him to try and prevent them from seeing the archer connection. 'Nothing to do now but try and mitigate any damage that comes our way.' He sighed and rubbed his eyes before glancing at the time. "Upstairs you two, it's past your bedtime."

"You'd think being in high school would earn us a later bedtime," Connor muttered to Mia as they headed for the stairs.

"Yeah, you'd think," Mia replied.

"Bed you two," Roy reminded them with a smile. He swung back around in his chair to look back at his monitors. As he usually did after patrol, he spent the next two hours writing reports. Despite not having handled it, he added the newest black arrow murder to the file he had the first two in. 'I can see what the police have gathered on it tomorrow. Maybe they'll be able to get somewhere.' He stretched and yawned, before climbing the stairs himself. 'It feels later than it actually is,' he thought. 'But it is after 1 am, so I guess after that, what's the point in keeping track of the time?' When Roy got the apartment, he stopped in the kitchen to grab some water, but as he was on the way to his bedroom, he caught sight of the calendar on the wall. 'Oh… It's Valentine's Day…'

Someone, probably Mia, had marked the 14th with a red pen heart. Roy put his hand on his chest, fully prepared for the sharp pain, but instead there was nothing but a dull ache. It echoed in his heart like a familiar, but sad song. The remainder of the date made him sad, it did, but it wasn't as bad as it had been last year. Which was more or less how he'd felt on Halloween as well. 'I still can't believe it's been over a year,' Roy thought as he slowly shuffled to his bedroom. 'It's weird because… Before, I never thought I could this without Kaldur. It was always so reassuring to know that he was there if I needed him. That I could always count on him. Yet here I am, without him, basically raising three kids while protecting Star City.' Which Jade was a huge part of. The thought of his…friend made Roy smile as he shut himself in his bedroom. 'She's been amazing. I never would've thought she'd stick by me the way she has but it's just one of the many surprises I guess.' Roy rubbed the back of his neck as he pondered something.

'I should…do something for her,' he thought. 'Just to…show her that I appreciate everything she's done for me and the kids. And she is the mother of my child, so…I guess there's that too.' What did you do for the mother of your child you weren't involved with but had been living with you for over a year? Roy was pretty sure they didn't make cards for that sort of thing. 'I'm sure I'll think of something.' In the morning. For now, he just wanted to sleep. So he collapsed into bed and passed out.

— —

The first thing Roy heard when he woke up was crying. He lifted his head blearily, allowing his brain a few moments of confusion before he realized it was coming from the baby monitor. Groaning, he got out of bed. He left his room at the same moment Jade did. They made eye contact for a moment before she simply said, "Your turn," before going back into her own room.

'Fair enough,' Roy thought as he headed into Lian's nursery. Sure enough, she was screeching and kicking the air as he approached the crib. "Shhh. Shhhh. It's ok, baby girl. It's ok, Daddy's here.' He picked her up and made a face. "I see why you're so upset. I'd be cranky too if I had a diaper that full." Lian kept up her crying all through getting her diaper changed, despite Roy's constant efforts to calm her down. She did stop screeching when she had a fresh diaper, but still cried and whimpered as Roy took her in his arms and started bouncing her. "I know, I know. Life's very hard when you're 3 months old. It's so difficult, I know." Eventually, he got Lian calmed down. "Are we done being dramatic now? Hm?" He kissed the top of her head and glanced at the clock on the wall. "Why don't we go get some breakfast, hm?" He kept bouncing Lian to keep her quiet as the two of them went into the kitchen.

Skillfully using only one arm, he warmed up a bottle of formula for Lian, thinking about what he can do for Jade. "What'd you think, baby girl?" he asked Lian as he fed her the bottle. "Hm? Mommy is an assassin, what'd you think she'd like for Valentine's Day?" Lian just stared at him, hands trying to hold the bottle herself. "Thanks, you're being a big help." He continued pacing around the kitchen, thinking about what he could do.

'Something...active,' he thought. 'Jade likes to be active.' What was active in Star that didn't involve killing people, but would appeal to someone with Jade's...skillset? An idea popped into his head and Roy grinned. 'That's not a bad idea. It's actually pretty good.' She'd no doubt think it was stupid but...she usually thought everything was so, what was this? Satisfied with his idea, Roy put Lian in her high-chair with some blocks to occupy herself with, then started breakfast for Connor and Mia.

By the time they were up, Roy had a plan. "I need a favor," he said as soon as the two teens sat down. "You guys don't have plans tonight, right?"

"Other than patrol?" Mia asked. "No."

"Unless we're not going on patrol," Connor guessed.

"I want to do something nice for Jade tonight. Can you guys watch Lian?"

"Of course!" Mia answered brightly. "We love watching her!"

"Great."

"What're you and Jade doing tonight?" Connor asked as he put jelly on his toast.

"It's a surprise, so don't mention it to her. You guys keep an eye on Lian while I shower." He gave the baby a kiss on the head before he left the kitchen to get ready for work.

— —

When he returned, Jade was at the table with Lian in her lap, letting the baby play with her hair. "No crazy Valentine's Day plans today?" she asked him, a hint of teasing in her voice.

"I figured we were all worn out from last year," Roy replied evasively. He could tell by the familiar glint in her eyes though that she was joining with him. 'She really does have beautiful eyes.' Had he ever noticed her eyes before? Aside from the standard observation that, yes, she has two of them, he didn't think so. 'That's...too bad. Because her eyes are really pretty.' All the baby books said it would be a few months before Lian's eyes settled on a color, but at that moment Roy hoped she'd have her mother's eyes. The feeling in his stomach made him turn away though and focus on breakfast.

The rest of the morning was entirely uneventful, with Connor and Mia leaving for school, and Roy leaving for work not soon after. Despite now living above his office, there were some leads he needed to follow up on, so he left the building entirely. It was unseasonably warm that day, even for February in Star, but Roy didn't mind. If anything, he enjoyed it more. 'Good weather is a good omen,' he thought as he walked. 'Good thing we're in California.'

— —

With the anticipation of what he had planned that night, Roy got through work rather quickly. And he was in a good mood when he walked into the apartment, which Jade didn't hesitate to notice.

"Don't go all…weepy on me," Jade said, handing Lian off to Roy. "but I'm assuming it's a good sign you're not manic this Valentine's Day."

"Yes," Roy said, almost amused as Lian gnawed on part of his tie. "I'm not… I don't know, it's weird. It's been over a year and I feel…different but in a good way. It's not so hard to breathe when I think about Kaldur." He didn't add that he tried not to think about Kaldur, especially after learning about him trying to kill the Team.

"I'm glad." Jade stood and walked closer to full the tie from Lian's mouth and stroke her head. "You deserved better."

"Do I?"

"Of course. After what he did… You deserve the best, Roy. I mean that."

"Thanks." Roy tried to ignore the tightness in his stomach, or how Jade was so close he could smell her shampoo. "Uh…speaking of which, do you have plans tonight?"

It took every ounce of self-control Jade had not to outwardly react to the segway. "Nothing in particular. Why?"

"I was thinking if you want to, that we could go out tonight."

"I've told you before, I'm not interested in some family outing-"

"Not that. I mean…just you and me."

Jade didn't say anything for a few seconds. "Just us?"

"Yeah. Connor and Mia will watch Lian."

"What do you have planned?"

Roy gave her a small, almost mischievous smile. "It's a surprise." He laughed when Jade rolled her eyes. "So, you in?"

"…I am."

"Great!"

"As long as this isn't some ploy to trick me into stupid hero work."

"It is a perfectly normal activity."

'Probably not much better,' Jade thought as she walked away. 'What the hell do I know about doing normal stuff?' Besides the fact that she'd been living a semi-normal life for over a year now. 'It wasn't like I planned on that. It just…kind of happened.' Regardless of what the 'perfectly normal activity' was that Roy had planned, it was still a night of just the two of them. Almost like a date. Jade rolled her eyes as she shut herself in her room. 'Yeah, there's no way this is a date. He might be over Kaldur'ahm, but that doesn't mean he's ready to start dating again.' Besides, he'd never shown any interest in her like that before. 'Roy is my…friend and co-parent. That's it.' Even if Jade wished that maybe they could have something more.

— —

After dinner, Roy grinned as he got his shoes and sweater on. "Ready to go?" he asked Jade as she handed Lian to Mia.

"Guess so," Jade sighed.

"Have fun," Connor said as he joined Mia on the floor. "Don't worry about anything, we've got Lian."

"Yeah, we're professionals," Mia added.

"Good to know…" Jade muttered.

"Shall we?" Roy asked her, grabbing his keys.

"Let's get this over with."

'At least she's excited.'

Jade's interest was piqued when they went to Roy's car. 'So we're going somewhere that's far enough away to drive? Hm…' She eyed him from the passenger seat. "Any chance you'll give me a clue about where we're going?"

"It's fun," Roy said as he drove. "It's…active and perfectly suited to your skills."

Jade rolled her eyes. "Never mind. I prefer having no clues to those cryptic ones." Even so, she mused over the three clues, trying to figure out where they were going. She even kept a close eye on their surroundings as they drove through the city, trying to deduce where they were going. Unfortunately, she was no closer to figuring it out when they finally pulled into the parking lot of what looked like a really big warehouse. Jade frowned as she got out f the car then followed Roy toward ht building. "You planning on killing me?"

"No! Jade- We're here to have fun-" Roy stopped when he saw the smirk and realized she'd been joking. His heart fluttered. "You haven't figured it out yet?"

"Surprisingly, no. Would you prefer I start moping about how my detective skills aren't as good as yours?"

Roy rolled his eyes a little bit, but the large grin on his face took some of the weight from the gesture. "We're here to lay laser tag."

"…Laser tag?"

"Yeah, you ever heard of it?"

"Of course I have!" Jade, in fact, had not. She was pretty sure that could be filed under 'Not Necessary Knowledge for Being an Assassin' but she didn't want to admit that to Roy. "I've just…never done it before."

"Me neither, but my brother told me all about it when he had a field trip to a laser tag place once. It's always sounded like a lot of fun and I didn't think sitting in a restaurant was your thing."

"I won't deny you're right about that, but you don't think this is a little…juvenile?"

"Laser tag is a fun activity for all ages." He gave her a mischievous look.

"Why? Are you afraid you can't beat m?"

"…Excuse me?"

"It's ok, I won't judge you. I just didn't think that someone with your…skillset would be so scared of losing." A hard elbowed landed on his side and he chuckled.

"I'll show you scared. Let's do this."

So, 15 minutes later, Roy had paid for them to get in and they were strapping on the gear while listening to the crash course on how to use the gun. The first round it would be just the two of them in a smaller room to allow them time to get used to shooting (it was also a Valentine's Day special, but neither Roy or Jade had commented on it.) After that, they'd play in the biggest room, teamed up against other couples.

"Good luck," Roy said before they separated.

"Why?" Jade asked innocently. "You're the one who'll need it." They each went to their own door to enter, then walked into the room. It was dark, not pitch black, but significantly darker than it had been outside the room. There was a green ambiance to everything as well, giving it a vague night-vision feel, but this allowed Jade to see the room was dotted with various walls and shapes she could hide behind. She checked her gun to mask sure it was set to go, then smiled. 'Ok, hero. Let's play.' She fell into a familiar gait almost immediately, using the shadows to make her movements expertly. After first there were no signs of Roy, prompting her to move cautiously, pausing in the shadows every few seconds to survey the area.

Only when she made a calculated dash from behind a wall to a cube-structure did she see a flash of red light twenty feet away. 'Found him.' She moved careful to get on her knees, then raised her upper body enough to shoot at the area she'd seen the red light in. Despite it not hitting anything, she ducked back behind the cube, waited a few seconds, then fired again. 'He has to still be close.' Jade looked around, then sprinted the short difference to another wall. The corner felt weirdly exposed because she still didn't know where Roy was, but it gave her the best vantage point. Her eyes darted from spot to spot, searching for Roy. There was a movement across the room and she fired at it on instinct. The tell-tale beep made her smile in victory. 'I hit him!' Knowing Roy's gun would be disabled for 30 seconds, she moved from her spot to find another hiding spot.

"Good shot!" Roy called from the new wall he was crouched behind.

"Want to come out and rub my face in it?"

"Not on your life, hero!" Jade called back. Replying would give away her position (which was no doubt part of Roy's plan) but she wasn't worried. Because exposing herself without moving would draw Roy out. She listened intently, searching for Roy's footsteps, but everything in the room, except for the walls, were covered in carpet. So, it prompted Jade to stick her head out from her hiding spot. There were no signs of Roy, no movements of shadows giving away his position. Jade moved slightly farther out of her hiding spot. 'Where did you go-' Her gear suddenly beeped and the piece on her chest started vibrating. "Damn it!"

Somewhere in the room, Roy laughed. "Now we're even!"

"Not for long!" Jade used the shadows and structures to make it to the other side of the room. 'I can't let him win. He'll never let me live it down.' When her gun was finally reactivated, she scanned the room intently. What she wouldn't have given for a rock or ball to throw out as a decoy and draw Roy's fire. Trying to make do, she carefully moved the end of the gun from her hiding spot. This wall had a small hole that she could look through to see directly on the other side. When she looked through it, Jade made an interesting observation…there was something directly below her line vision moving in the shadow. 'Found you.' Smiling and trying to move as silently as possible, she crept right to the edge of the wall. She raised her gun so nothing was beyond the edge. 'Three, two, one!' In one smooth move, Jade side-stepped around the wall, moving her gun as she did. Her sudden appearance seemed to take Roy by surprise and that, combined with her speed, allowed had not shot him.

"It's not over yet!"

"Oh, I know!" When she'd secured a new hiding spot, this time keeling behind a three-foot-high structure, she changed tactics. "You know, I expected better from a marksman like you." There was no response, but she pressed on. "We're a little more than…" she glanced at the analog timer on the wall. "halfway through the game and you're already down by one."

"It's just one!" Roy relented from somewhere, but Jade's keen ears picked up on the sound.

"One point down is still losing. I just assumed you'd be better than this. Haven't you seen most of your life doing stuff like this?"

"I could say the same about you."

At the same time he replied, there was a slight movement in a shadow on her right, so Jade moved. She wove between the structures staggered in the middle of the floor, using them as occasional cover when it seemed like Roy was firing. The added pressure of her presence lured him out of his hiding spot, forcing him to move. It wasn't quick enough for Jade though, who landed another shot. "Beat that, hero!" She found a corner to catch her breath for the 30 seconds Roy wouldn't be able to come after her. 'Ok, new plan. Highly doubt that one will work twice.' Roy was smart. Each plan would probably only work once with him. 'I know him. He'll adjust his own movements to account for them.' Before the 30 seconds were up, Jade moved to another spot. The vantage point wasn't great, but since she was ahead, she was more on the defensive at the moment.

Maybe his recent losses were throwing him off, but it was several minutes before Roy even got close. As soon as he was within a couple of feet of her hiding spot though, Jade moved. She slipped from wall to wall, using the shadows to move whenever she was reasonably certain Roy wasn't looking in her direction. Finally, though, it put him in an exposed position, prompting Jade to shoot him again. This time she didn't say anything (but did hear a loud gran from Roy) as she moved to the other side of the room. 'How much time do we have left?' Their one-hour time slot only had 10 minutes left. 'Hm… I'll stay on the defensive for the rest of the round. I wan tot win, but I don't need to do so by a huge margin.' So, she pressed her back into a corner and waited. For the rest of the time, whoever Roy got too close, Jade moved to a different hiding spot. Roy seemed to get more frustrated as the numbers on the timer got smaller, shooting more randomly.

However, Roy didn't land a single shot on Jade by the time their timer ran out and a buzzer sounded. He sighed in defeat, then looked around. Jade stepped out of her hiding spot only two feet from where he was standing. "Well played," Roy complimented as they led the room, squinting at the sudden brightness.

"I know," Jade replied simply, a playful smirk on her lips.

They were led to an area with benches where they were supposed to wait before the next game. There were a few couples in there as well, but they were more interested in each other than in Roy and Jade. As soon as they were sitting, Roy leaned close to whisper, "What's the plan?"

"Just keep an eye on the competition. Look for anyone who seems like they don't have a lot of experience."

"You got it."

Jade let her ways flick around the room, trying not to make it obvious that she was looking at the other couples. There was one younger pair (17 or 18 most likely) with a girl who seemed more concerned with watching her nails than her guy. 'She'll be an easy target in there,' Jade thought. 'And if he loves her, then he might stay put to protect her, making them both sitting ducks.' Nondescriptly, she nudged Roy, then made a slight gesture at the young couple that could be easily mistaken as he just playing with her hair. Roy gave her a smile, then took her hand and moved it toward the couple he'd spotted, both of whom were on their phones. Jade winked, then pulled her hand away, hoping her face wasn't as flushed as she felt from the contact.

Thankfully, one of the workers came in to let them into the room. Roy and Jade were the first ones in, hoping to get a good hiding space. The new room was more than twice as big as the old one, so they quickly found a structure they could hide behind. "Ok, game plan?" Roy asked quietly as everyone was filed in.

"Work our way around the room?" Jade suggested. "Take them out pair by pair?"

"Sounds good. Back-to-back?"

"Of course." They high-fived then adjusted their crouched stances. 3o seconds later, the buzzer sounded and the timer started counting down. Roy and Jade shared a smile before moving. As soon as they were standing, they were back-to-back, covering each other as they moved. They moved in tandem, mindful of what was going on around them, and careful to never leave the other exposed.

Something moved in a show ten feet away, so Roy shot at it. He missed, but the person moved again, allowing him to shoot them. "Got one."

"So did I. Go left." They moved left down the room, eyes scanning for targets. They were the only ones out in the open like this, so it drew the attention of just about every other couple.

"Think we can draw them out?"

"Know it." Jade fired off shot after shot, landing her laser on the chest plate of each player she spotted. They made it through the room, then hid behind a wall to catch their breath. "Think we're in the lead?"

"Hopefully." Roy took a deep breath, then smiled. "Want to go back out?"

"Let's go get 'em. Cover me."

Roy kept an eye on the room, shooting whenever something moved as they darted to a structure. It was like a cube, allowing them to hide behind it. "Taking turns?"

"Go for it." One at a time, they sat up and used the cube to fire while the other stayed low and covered their back. Every few minutes the switched positions. They kept this up for close to 15 minutes before Roy tapped Jade and nodded his head toward a wall. She gave him a short nod of agreement before they moved. Jade watched Roy's back as they scampered to the wall so they could stop for another few seconds.

"How many do you think we got?"

"I counted at least 6."

"I counted 8." Roy took a moment to poke his head out from their hiding spot. "Seems like there's a bunch of people in the far corner. We should be able to get quite a few hits."

"Let me see." Jade switched with him so she could poke her own head out. "I see them. Looks like there's a good corner just a few feet from that."

"On three?"

"Why wait?" Jade darted from their hiding spot, leaving Roy to follow. She used the various structures to suck and weave her way across the room. They made it across in no time and basically ambushed the other people they found there. They fired off shot after shot, trying to hit as many people as they could. At some point the melee, Jade spotted Roy, who was just standing there against the wall. A quick look at his now red chest pale told Jade he'd been hit and she rolled her eyes. She grabbed his hand, then dragged him away to their agreed hiding spot. Roy stumbled and almost landed on her, pinning Jade against the wall. "Smooth, hero."

"Uh…sorry…" After he stepped back, Roy checked his gun to see that it had re-activated. "What now?"

"Contest? You go left, I'll go right, let's see who can get more."

"Let's do it."

Jade slipped away from him and got a head start. She moved like a ghost, stepping through shadows and shooting only when no one was looking. Before long, she'd made her way across the right side of the room and hid in a small alcove to wait. Two minutes later, Roy joined her. "What took you so long?"

"Sorry. There was someone in my way and I had to go around. It was very difficult."

"Uh-huh…" Jade rolled her eyes, but there was only amusement behind the gesture. "Again?"

"Switch sides?"

"Obviously." They ran off down the opposite sides of the room again, both appearing and disappearing as they used the shadows to move. They were neck-and-neck for the most part, keeping pace with each other until they reached the other side. As soon as they each slapped the wall though, the buzzer went off. Everyone began trickling out of the room, Jade and Roy bringing up the rear. The scores for each team were on a screen just outside the room and neither Roy or Jade was surprised to see they'd won. The latter tried to hide her smile as they returned their gear but Roy still caught it.

"So," he said when they were walking back to the car. "How was it?"

"It was…interesting," Jade replied evasively, hands shoved into her sweater pockets. "Nothing…too special."

"Uh-huh, uh-huh. But did you have fun?"

"Roy-"

"Come on, Jade, humor me! Did you have fun?"

"…Yes, fine. I had fun. Happy now?"

"Very."

Jade glanced at his brilliant smile, then had to glance away when it made her stomach flop. "Why did you do this?"

"What'd you mean?"

"Why did you bring me here tonight instead of going out? It's not like this was a…date."

"I know its not a date, but… I was just thinking about how much you've done to help me and I wanted to take you out. Show my appreciation. You deserve it."

"Oh… Well, thanks." Jade was quiet until they were in the car and driving home. "I meant what I said earlier today, you know. You deserve a lot better than Kaldur'ahm. You deserve more than what he gave you in the end."

"Thanks."

"I was so angry at how he treated you. It was touch-and-go for a while, but I knew you'd pull through."

"Did you?"

Jade nodded. "The things I'd…heard about what you'd been through," especially from Oliver Queen himself, "I knew you'd pull through. There was never a doubt in my mind."

"Even when I needed your help to stop spiraling?"

"Even then."

Roy smiled and reached out to gently squeeze her hand. "Thanks, Jade. I really appreciate that."

"Of course." His hand retracted and Jade moved hers into her lap. She looked out the window, trying to ignore the warm feeling in her chest. 'You deserve someone who believes in you, Roy. You've more than earned it.'


	40. Consequences of Siblings

A/N: Here's the next chapter! Let me know what you think!

'Why do I have to memorize all the state capitals,' Mia thought irritably. 'Who cares what the capital of Maine is! Who even lives there?!' The only capitals worth knowing were California's and America's. But here she was, struggling through a quiz on all 50. 'This has to be some kind of crime. Pointless education wasting everyone's time. Aren't we supposed to be learning useful stuff here?' She quickly scribbled down answers for the remaining five answers just as the bell rang. Mia handed in her quiz, then bolted from the social studies classroom. 'Only one more class before the end of the day!' She went downstairs to get to science and just turned the corner when she suddenly stopped. Down the hall, Connor was getting something out of his locker. A mischievous smile crept across Mia's face as she envisioned herself sneaking up on Connor and scaring him. As soon as she started down the hall though, another girl came up behind Connor.

'Alyssa,' Mia realized, recognizing the girl almost instantly (which wasn't hard to do in a school this size). She watched as Alyssa tapped Connor's shoulder, then immediately got in his personal space when he turned around. A scowl slowly grew on Mia's face as she watched. 'He's obviously uncomfortable,' she thought, watching Connor's body language. 'Alyssa's not blind! She has to realize how uncomfortable he is!' It didn't seem like that was the case though, because the girl kept talking to Connor, leaning closer and closer despite him trying to move away. Mia's fist clenched at her sides. As much as she wanted to do something, she knew she couldn't just go over there and make Alyssa back off because 1) it would cause a scene which would make Connor more embarrassed than he already was and 2) he would never live it down with the other 15-year-old boys in their grade that he'd needed to be saved by his foster sister. 'I have to do something though.

'I can't let her keep bothering Connor like this. The poor guy deserves to have his personal space respected.' And she was still mad about Alyssa kissing Connor the previous spring. 'I need to get her alone.' Just as Mia was trying to decide how she could Alyssa alone (they were in very different places in the hierarchy of high school), she suddenly left Connor, blowing him a kiss as she did. Mia stayed just long enough to see Connor slam his locker shut, then bolt up the stairs, before she followed Alyssa. The other girl thankfully didn't go to her next class, but instead went into the bathroom. When Mia walked in, Alyssa was looking at herself in the mirror, fixing her make-up. "Hey!" Mia practically snapped as she approached her.

Alyssa jumped, then turned around. "What the fuck?!" she asked irritably.

"I want to talk to you."

"Who the hell are you?"

"I'm Mia. Connor's sister."

"…Ok." Alyssa rolled her eyes as she went back to reapplying mascara in the mirror.

"You need to leave Connor alone."

"And why should I do that?"

'Seriously?!' Mia scowled even more as she came to stand next to Alyssa. "Because you make him uncomfortable."

"I know."

"It's really- Wait, you know?"

"Mhm."

"But- Then why do you do it if you know it makes him uncomfortable?"

Alyssa smiled amusedly, still engrossed in her task. "Because it's so adorable. He's so reserved and quiet that it surprises him. It's better than the other boys constantly boasting about things they've definitely never done."

'She's amused by how upset he gets?!' That sent anger burning through Mia's vein and for a second, she envisioned herself punching the other girl. 'I can't though. Roy will get mad and ground me, plus Connor will get upset I'm using violence.' So she took a deep breath and slowly unclenched her fist. "It's not…cute, it's gross. You need to leave him alone."

"Oh, come on! You don't think it's even a little cute how flustered he gets when girls so much as look at him?"

Mia bit back the urge to point out that Connor didn't even like girls. But she knew that would only bring him more trouble; and it wasn't her place to be going around telling people. "It's not cute."

"It's a little cute. Especially when you consider how hot he is. I mean, most guys who look like him are so full of themselves and insufferable. Like, they know how hot there are and they act like it." She quickly applied some lip balm. "But Connor is so…down to Earth, it's like he doesn't even realize how good looking he is. If he were more aware of himself, he could probably have any girl in the 9th grade." She turned to face Mia, one hand on her hip. "But he's not aware. He's quiet and simple, therefore perfect."

Mia's eyes darkened at how condescending that sounded. "Connor is great! He's not simple, he's reserved and pious! And there's nothing wrong with that. He's allowed to be as…promiscuous or non-promiscuous as he wants! Not to mention he's the most thoughtful person I've ever met in my life, which is a surprisingly high bar! He's wonderful and deserves way better than a Barbie-wanna-be like you!"

The amused smirk never left Alyssa's lips as she appraised Mia. "You seem to know an awful lot about him. Sure you're not just jealous?"

"Jealous? Gross, no! I'm not-"

"Are you sure? I mean, I know you guys are foster siblings, so it's basically incest, but that wouldn't stop someone like you, would it?"

Mia's cheeks burned scarlet and everything got so quiet the only thing she could hear was her heart beating in her ears. "What'd you mean…someone like me?"

"You know what I mean. Because you're a whore."

As soon as the last word crossed Alyssa's lips, Mia surged forward and grabbed her by the hair. Without thinking, she used her other hand to turn the water on as high as it would go, then shoved Alyssa's head under it. The other girl shrieked and tried to pull away, but Mia had months of archery training to her advantage. She held Alyssa there just long enough to soak her head and face before she released her. As Alyssa stumbled away, she crossed her arms. "Don't ever come near Connor again."

"Psycho bi-"

"Did you hear me?! Don't come near him again! He's not some doll for you to play with! He's a person with thoughts and feelings that you're hurting! Leave him alone, or next time I'll mess up more than just your make-up." The bell rang, so Mia left the bathroom without looking back. 'Hopefully, she'll stop bothering him now,' she thought as she hurried to her last class. 'God, I can't believe her. How dare she talk about Connor like he's some kind of…plaything there for her amusement, without even considering how she's making him feel!' Then there was what Alyssa had said to her. 'I may be a whore, but at least I don't act like a predator. There are worse things in this world than having a lot of sex.' Be that as it may though, she couldn't quite shake the burn of humiliation in her stomach as she entered the classroom.

— —

All through art class, Connor was convinced this would be the day he finally talked to Kyle. He had a plan, a good plan, to finally make it happen. They were tracing with special pencils and paper today, so Connor "accidentally" ripped his page. He leaned over to ask Kyle for a new sheet. Connor's head hesitated at Kyle's shoulder, heart pounding. 'What if he doesn't want to give ma another one? What if I say something stupid? No, I won't. All I have to do is say 'Can I have a sheet of tracing paper?' It'll be fine! I can-' A movement in the corner of his eye from his other side.

"Here you go," Mr. Neil whispered as he put several pieces of tracing paper in front of Connor. "So we don't have to bother Kyle."

"…Thanks," Connor whispered back. The teacher gave him a pat on the shoulder before moving on. Trying not to audibly sigh, Connor glanced at Kyle, who was so entrapped by his tracing that he didn't seem to have noticed anything. 'Well, maybe it was a really terrible plan, anyway,' Connor thought glumly as he started tracing again. 'Maybe I was going to make a complete fool of myself and this was the universe's way of intervening before I could do that.' Hopefully, that was it. 'It's Friday, but then I have all weekend to think of ways to talk to him!' Connor almost cringed at how weird that sounded. 'I'm hopeless…'

Thankfully, the class didn't drag and before he knew it, he was turning in his most acceptable sketch (traced onto another page as well). As usual, by the time he made it back to the table, Kyle was gone. Connor tried not to feel disappointed as he grabbed his bag, then left the classroom. 'Try to think positive,' he told himself silently as he went to his locker. 'I have a whole weekend of training and patrol to look forward to.' Hopefully, Roy would have time to help him and Mia with their paired shooting like he kept saying he would. While Connor understood the man was busy helping Jade with Lian on top of all his other, usual responsibilities, he couldn't help but wish Roy had more time to help them train. 'We can manage on our own, but it's not the same as having Roy there.' He found Mia in their usual meeting spot by the school gate. "Hey."

"Hey," she replied simply. "Ready?"

"Let's go." They started walking home. "Hey, do you want to practice paired shooting when we get home?"

"Sure! Do you think Roy will be able to help us?"

"I hope so. Even if he doesn't I guess we can keep practicing with just the two of us."

"Yeah. It's not really the same without him, though. We don't have his expert opinion to tell us if we're doing it correctly."

"What else can we do? He's got a lot going on right now."

"I know. And we can't just…not practice."

"Exactly. Even if he can't be there, we can figure it out."

Mia gave him a smile. "Glad you have so much confidence in us." When he returned her smile, Mia thought back to what had happened with Alyssa in the bathroom. 'Male or female, he deserves someone who will take the time to actually get to know him. And is willing to wait for him to start showing interest in them before they start invading his personal space.' They turned a corner and she almost stopped. 'What was that?' It'd almost looked like someone ducking behind the column of a building. Not wanting to worry Connor, she stayed quiet as they kept walking. All through the walk, she kept an eye out. Since they'd moved in November, the walk was a lot longer than it had been before, giving her plenty of opportunities. She thought there was someone in the corner of her eye when they were halfway, home when she turned her head she couldn't see anything. So, she shrugged it and kept walking, but couldn't completely shake the feeling that she was being watched until they let themselves into the building through the backdoor.

As soon as they got upstairs, Connor and Mia took just enough time to drop their belongings in their rooms and say hi to Lian before they went downstairs. "We should ask Roy if we can set up some targets in the backyard," Connor commented as he filled his quiver. "So we can practice outside in the summer."

"I overheard him telling Lian how he wants to fix up the fence and re-seed the yard so there's grass when he was giving her a bath last week."

"I hope so, I'd like to help him with that."

"Why?"

Connor shrugged. "We used to do gardening all the time at the monastery. Maybe Roy will let me start a vegetable garden."

'Why do the simplest things bring him so much joy? Maybe it's a…Buddhism thing.' Mia finished filling her quiver, then joined Conor in front of the targets. "Ready?"

"Let's see how we do without talking." Using their peripheral vision, the two teens started shooting in sync with each other. The shot arrow after arrow into the bullseyes of their respective targets. They kept an eye on their own shooting speeds and when the arrows hit their marks. After three minutes, they'd emptied their quivers, then moved to retrieve the arrows.

They were still shooting when Roy came downstairs. "Jade said you guys were down here," he smiled as he watched. "Your paired shooting is really coming along."

"Do you think you could help us tonight before patrol?" Mia asked hopefully.

"…Sorry, but I don't think so. I told Jade I'd take care of Lian before I leave for patrol so she could get some exercise."

"What does Jade do when she gets…exercise?" Connor asked.

"It's probably better we don't ask."

"Right."

"Why don't you bring Lian down here?" Mia suggested suddenly. "She can watch us."

"Because the Arrow Cave isn't safe for a baby," Roy laughed. "You guys are doing fine. Maybe tomorrow I'll give you some pointers. Ok?" He got two nods and turned to go back upstairs. "Don't tire yourselves out before patrol." Roy went back upstairs and found Jade laying Lian down on her play mat. "Have fun."

"Always do," Jade answered as she headed for her room.

Roy smiled as he laid down on his own stomach so he could be face-to-face with his daughter. "Hi, baby," he cooed quietly. "Hello, beautiful. Whatcha got there?" Lian simply put the end of the rattle in her mouth. "Is that tasty?" She just kept sucking on the toy. "When you start going some teeth Daddy will buy you all the yummy treats you want. How's that sound, huh?" Roy reached out to pick her up, then smoothly turned onto his back so he could hold her above him. Lian laughed and cooed, swinging her rattle as Roy brought her down close to his face. "Who's a happy baby? Huh? Who's a happy baby?" He kissed her forehead, then lifted her back up again. She put the rattle back in her mouth. "Are you that hungry, huh, baby girl?" Lian giggled in response and kept sucking on her rattle. "Let's get you a snack then."

Lian shrieked happily as Roy swung her again, standing. He settled her in his arms, then carried her into the kitchen. Once she was settled in the high-chair, Roy grabbed a banana and a spoon. He peeled it, then snapped a piece off. He set it on the tray of her high chair then thoroughly crushed it with the spoon. With the banana now mush, Roy scooped some up on the spoon, then held it out to her mouth. Lian gurgled with a smile before she basically threw her whole body forward to reach the spoon. "Still working on those gross motor skills, hm?" Roy asked her. "Don't worry, soon you'll figure out what all those limbs are for. You'll be standing, then walking and running. Before we know it, Daddy will be teaching you archery." Roy broke off another piece of the banana and crushed it into mush as well. "You'll like that, won't you? To learn how to shoot like Daddy?" He caught a little bit of banana that dribbled out of her mouth so she could try eating it again.

"You know, my dad taught me archery." Another piece of the banana was broken off, then turned into mush. Lian grabbed at the much with her fingers, then shoved her hand into her mouth. "Some of my happiest memories are with him, practicing my shooting for hours without stopping." He watched as Lian shoved another handful of banana into her mouth. "I wish he could've met you. Brave Bow probably would've adored you. He'd show you off in town to all his friends. Everyone would've heard how wonderful and beautiful his granddaughter is." Roy reached out smoothed down her hair as she ate another handful of the banana mush. "Maybe someday I can introduce you to my adopted family. Bruce, Alfred, Dick, Barbara, Tim. They're nice people if a little stubborn. They'll love you too."

Lian just smiled at him and reached out, her tiny fingers opening and closing expectantly. "Eh!" she cried out.

"You want more? Huh? More banana?" Roy ripped off another piece of banana, took a small bite, then started squishing it. "Yummy, huh?" When Lian grabbed another handful, Roy leaned closer. "Can Daddy have some?" He carefully ate some banana off her fingers. "Thanks." Roy snacked on the rest of the banana himself, then got up to grab a paper towel. "You made a mess." Lian giggled as he wiped down her face with the wet paper towel. "Let's go play with some toys, hm?" He picked Lian up and bounced her a little bit. "How does that sound?" Lian giggled and grabbed at his hair. "No, no! Don't touch Daddy's hair." Roy held her against his chest as they went to her bedroom. As soon as they walked in though, his phone started ringing. "I'll get that."

Roy set Lian down before he answered. "Hello?"

"Is this Raymond Wayne?" a woman asked.

"It is."

"This is Cynthia Wendell, Assistant Principal at Star City Charter Academy. I'm in charge of the high school students."

"What can I do for you?"

"I just received a…distressing call from the parents of Alyssa Newman. They claim your foster-daughter, Mia Dearden attacked their daughter today."

"Attacked her? How?"

"Alyssa claims Mia attacker her in the bathroom, completely unprovoked and held her head under the water."

"Does she have any proof?"

"No, and her parents haven't reported any marks on Alyssa. For that reason, I will be calling me down to my office on Monday and letting her off with a reprimand. It's just our policy to call and inform you whenever we take any disciplinary actions."

"Thank you, I appreciate it." Roy hung up and sighed. "Looks like we need to go talk to Mia. Come on, baby girl." He picked up Lian, who was chewing on a small, canvas book, and carried her downstairs. 'Don't jump to any conclusions,' he thought as he walked down the stairs. 'Maybe it's not as bad as it sounds.' When he got down to the Arrow Cave, the two older kids were still practicing. "Mia."

"Yeah?" Mia replied as she shot another arrow. She turned around to look at him. "What's up?"

"I just got a call from your school. They said you attacked another student today."

'Oh shit…'

Connor frowned. 'Mia attacked someone?' he thought in confusion.

"Mia, did you attack another girl today?" Roy asked her.

"Uh… Technically, yes."

Roy sighed. "Mia-"

"But I didn't hurt her! I just wanted to…get my point across."

"There are better ways to get your point across without using violence."

"I didn't even hurt her!"

"Why did you attack her?"

Mia hesitated, trying not to glance at Connor. "Because… Because she called me a whore." At least it wasn't a total lie.

Some of Roy's anger evaporated. "While I understand why what she said hurt you, Mia, the answer is never to hurt someone else; especially in anger."

"Alyssa had it coming."

'Alyssa?!' Connor thought, shocked. 'As in… Oh no, Mia, tell me you didn't.'

"Regardless," Roy told Mia, "you shouldn't be fighting. If you're not in costume, your skills should only be used in self-defense and never done because someone else made you angry. Is that understood?"

Mia sighed. "Yeah, understood."

"Good. You're benched all weekend."

"Benched?! That's so unfair!"

"That's the consequence of your actions. Now go upstairs."

"…Fine." Mia put her bow and quiver away, then followed Roy back up to the apartment.

— —

After parol, Connor went to Mia's room. His hand hesitated for a second before knocking on her door.

"Come in," Mia said. She was brushing her hair on her bed. "What's up?"

"Did you- Did you attack Alyssa because of…me?"

"Of course."

"But- I told you not to hurt her-"

Mia shrugged. "And I didn't. Seriously, all I did was mess up her make-up. Besides, someone had to do something to stop her."

"It wasn't that bad." Connor sat at the foot of her bed. "It was fine-"

"It wasn't fine, Connor. She was making you uncomfortable. You shouldn't have to put up with that."

"It's not worth you getting in trouble over!"

Mia crossed her arms. "It is."

"No, it's-"

"Yes, it is! Look, I don't know who told you otherwise, Connor, but you're worth getting in trouble over. You're a good guy, you don't deserve to be treated the way Alyssa treats you."

Heat slowly spread across Connor's cheeks. "…Thanks." He was quiet for a moment. "I'm sorry you got benched because of this."

"It's fine. Besides, it's only for one weekend. We've had worse."

"Yeah, that's true." Connor glanced down at the bed. "Thanks. For you know…sticking up for me. No one- No one's ever done that before." No one beside his mom.

Again, Mia only shrugged. "No problem. I've never had a…brother before— or any siblings— but I think this whole, protecting each other thing is part of the gig."

"Yeah. I mean, I've never had a sister, but…I think you're right."

"Plus, as a vigilante, I'm completely into this…helping people stuff."

"I'm glad. You're really good at it."

"Thanks."

A thought popped into Connor's head. He hesitated for a moment before talking. "Can I um…ask you something?" He didn't hear a verbal response, but when he looked up again, Mia was giving him a "go on" look. "So… There's this boy in my art class…he sits next to me and he's…awesome."

Mia grinned widely. "Awwww! You have a boyfriend!"

"He's not my boyfriend!" The heat in Connor's cheeks spread down to his neck. "I've never even talked to him before…"

"Why not?"

"I- I don't know what to say!"

"You can start with hi."

"I'm serious." Connor looked at the bed again. "I- I don't know what to tell him, Mia. He's so talented."

"Try complimenting him. Maybe he'll be interested if you like his art."

"But..what if I say something stupid?

Mia rolled her eyes. "Come on, you're so smart. I doubt you'll say something stupid."

"You don't know that."

"So you're telling me, oh Zen one, that you're brave enough to take down a whole gang of drug dealers alone with nothing but fast, pointy sticks, but you're too chicken to talk to one boy?"

"Yes."

"Oh my god! Just talk to him, Connor. I promise it won't be that bad."

"…I'll try." Connor smiled a little. "Thanks, Mia. You know…you're pretty smart yourself."

"Of course I am."

"Night."

"Night, Con."

'If this is what it's like having a sister,' Connor thought as he went to his own room. 'then I think I've been missing out.'


	41. Grief All Around

A/N: Alright so... Enjoy...

"It's your turn, Roy," Mia said.

"Alright, let's see here…" Roy rolled the die, then smiled as he passed 'Go'. "Connor, $200, please."

"Do you want to buy anything?" Connor asked as he handed the monopoly money to Roy.

"Uh… Not this time."

"Again?" Jade asked, rolling her eyes. "You do understand the point of this game, right, hero?"

"Of course I do! I'm just saving to put a house on one of my other properties. Besides, I still own more than Connor does."

"I'm happy just being the banker," Conor said, reorganizing his money.

"You're just saying that because you've been jail 3 times," Mia snickered. She took a sip of her soda. "You've missed so many turns, I don't think you could catch up if you wanted to."

"I don't need to own stuff."

"Yes you do, Connor, that's the point of the game!"

Roy laughed just as his phone started ringing. He ignored it at first seeing as how he was busy and wasn't expecting an important call. It stopped ringing and he re-focused on the game, only for his phone to start ringing again. "I'm going to answer this, guys. Connor, at least consider buying one property. Maybe next time we'll play Life so you feel better." He grabbed his phone as he left the room, the sound of Mia explaining the rules again behind him as he left. "Hello?"

"Hey, Roy," Dick replied quietly, his voice heavy.

"Hey, Dick. What's up?" The tone of his bother's voice was…different. Yet there was something so eerily familiar about it, Roy could feel anxiety creeping up his spine as he waited for a response. When nearly 30 seconds passed without one, he spoke again. "Dick, what's going on? Is everything ok?"

"Roy, I- I have to tell you something.."

"What's wrong?! Is- Is it Barbara or…Tim?"

"No! No, they're fine. It's…"

"Dick!"

"It's Artemis, Roy. She's… Artemis is dead."

"Dead-" Roy froze as the gravity of the news hit him, just after the word left his lips. "No, no what do you mean she's- Dick, what happened?!"

"It was a mission… Things went…wrong…" Dick took an audibly deep breath. "I didn't want you to hear it from anyone else, but…Roy, it was Kaldur who killed her." In an instant, all the air was sucked from Roy's lungs. "We ran into Manta troopers and Kaldur was leading them. We fought him but… He stabbed Artemis and she…"

Roy closed his eyes for a second, trying to block out his brother's words. To ignore the truth that was being forced upon him. "No. No, he- Kal would never-"

"He's not the same! Not anymore. I know it's hard for you to hear the truth, but, Roy…he's not our Kaldur. Not anymore."

"Have- Have you told, Wally?"

"He knows."

Roy covered his mouth as a sob threatened to escape his lips. "She's… She's really gone?"

"Unfortunately."

"…Thanks for letting me know. I- I have to go." Roy hung up and let his arm fall limply by his side. For a few seconds, he didn't say anything and simply let his legs give out so he could sit. 'Artemis- She…and Kaldur- Oh, God…' He didn't want it to be real. He wanted all of this to be a bad dream he could wake up from. But it wasn't a dream. He put his head down on his knees to breathe as tremors shook his limbs. 'Artemis is dead! Oh, God. Oh, God! How could this happen?! And Jade-' Cold dread cut through his grief to grip his stomach. 'Jade… I- I have to tell her…' Roy suddenly, very much wished he could be anywhere else. Not having to have this conversation with one of his friends. 'But I have to tell her. If she finds out I knew and tried to keep this from her…it'll be 10 times worse. Plus, she deserves to hear it from a friend.' So, Roy took several deep, breaths then shoved his own grief aside so he could stand. The walk to the living room felt like it 10 miles and also too short at the same time. When he walked in, everyone else was still playing the game. Completely oblivious to him, Jade almost looked like she was having a good time. 'I have to tell her. I have to, I have to, I have to, I have to-'

"Roy?" Connor asked, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Are you ok?"

"I… Uh… Connor, Mia, can you guys leave us alone for a few minutes?" They didn't need to be here for the news, or his death depending on how Jade might take it.

"…Ok." Giving each other and Roy confused looks, then two teens stood and slowly left the living room.

"What's up?" Jade asked.

"I…uh… I just got a call from my brother. He gave me some news about a…mission the Team just had."

"And?"

Roy tried not to look Jade in the eye; instead, he glanced down at the carpet, rubbing at it with his toe. "Jade he told me…" He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath before opening them again. Still staring at the carpet, he forced himself to keep gong. "Jade… Artemis is dead." For a few seconds, nothing happened. It was perfectly silent between them. Eventually, Roy began to lift his head, but just as he did, he found himself pinned against the wall. "Jade-"

"You want to run that by me again?" Jade snarled, her fist twisted in Roy's shirt, holding him against the wall.

"I'm sorry, Jade. I know this is hard-"

"Shut up! Shut up, you don't- You're wrong!"

"I'm not-"

"No! You have to be!"

"I'm not." Roy carefully put his hands on one of hers. He looked her in the eye and swallowed. "I'm really, really sorry Jade, but it's true. Artemis is gone."

For several seconds, nothing happened. Then Jade suddenly released his shirt and stepped back several steps. She didn't say anything, staring at the ground for close to a minute. "I… I have to go."

"Go where?"

"Just…go. I'll be gone for a few days, so don't wait up." Without another word, Jade disappeared toward her bedroom.

'She needs some time,' Roy thought as he slowly sat on the couch. 'She just found out her sister died, I just need to give her some time.' As hard as it had been, Roy was kind of glad he'd been the one to break the news to her. Better than Jade hearing it somewhere else. Now that it was done though, there was nothing for him to focus on besides his own grief. His head dropped into his hands as hot tears slid down his face. Sobs wracked his body as he cried so hard he was shaking.

"R-Roy?" a quiet voice asked.

Roy's head jerked up to find Mia and Connor standing in the doorway. They had equal looks of worry on their faces.

"What's wrong?" Mia asked. "What happened?"

"It's…" Roy trailed off, not wanting to talk about it again.

"Does it have to do with what you told Jade?" Connor asked as he and Mia slowly walked into the room. They sat on either side of Roy, watching him intently.

"Yeah… It's… A friend of mine, Jade's younger sister, she…died."

"Oh… How- How did it happen?"

The air was sucked from Roy's lungs again. Tendrils of anxiety crept through the crevices in his brain. "K-Kal…" Shock passed over Connor and Mia's faces. Neither of them said anything for several seconds.

"Kaldur…he killed your friend?"

"Mhm…"

Mia frowned as she put a hand on Roy's back and rubbed gentle circles into it. "I'm sorry, Roy," she said quietly as he broke down crying again.

"I'm really sorry."

"Yeah," Connor agreed, putting a hand on Roy's other arm. "I'm sure your friend was…nice."

"Artemis…" Roy breathed between sobs. "Her name- was…Artemis."

"Artemis. I'm sure she was great."

"She was my friend…" And she'd been killed by his now evil ex-boyfriend. Literally, nothing about this situation was easy for him to comprehend. Roy just cried and cried, letting his grief overwhelm him. His life was a constant game of trying to contain overwhelming emotions, so he just let go of it this time. He let the grief wash over him in waves, almost growing him from the intensity. Not just because Artemis, his friend, was dead. Because someone he'd loved had gone fully to the dark side. Because his daughter wouldn't get to know her aunt. Because Jade had lost her sister. Everything about this was so unfair, he just wanted to cry about it. So he did for a while, with Connor and Mia rubbing his arm and back respectively. Eventually, his sobs quieted and his tears dried. Roy was emotionally drained, with nothing but a numb feeling settling in his bones. He took a deep breath. "Thanks, guys… I- I think it's time for bed."

"Ok," Mia agreed right away. Neither of the teens argued with Roy as they bid him goodnight, then went to their own rooms.

Roy followed slowly, basically shuffling as he moved. Before he went into his own room though, he stopped at Jade's. He knocked gently on the door. "Jade?" he asked. "Are you in there?" No response. Sighing a little, Roy entered the bedroom. Jade was gone and the window was cracked open. A closer inspection found her suit and Cheshire mask, along with her weapon were also gone. 'She just needs some space,' Roy thought as he slowly left the room. 'Jade just…needs some space to process everything.' When he got to his room, he had just barely enough energy to put some pajamas on before he practically collapsed on the bed and curled up into a tight ball under the covers. While he didn't feel like he could cry anymore, the grief and numbness had settled under this skin. So he stared at the wall, clutching a pillow to his body, desperately wishing he could just wake up.

— —

When morning came, Roy didn't want to get out of bed. He laid there, staring at his room silently. The weight on his chest kept him down. 'I have to get up,' he thought. 'Have to get Lian up and feed her. Have to feed Connor and Mia.' There were so many adult responsibilities that he needed to take care of. Every time he thought about getting up, the message just wouldn't get to his muscles. So he laid in bed, convinced that he'd get up when Lian started crying. However, minutes ticked by and everything remained silent. 'She's normally awake by now. Is everything ok?' Anxiety over the wellness of his daughter overpowered his grief, forcing Roy to get up. He went to Lian's room and a surge of fear went through his heart. 'She's not in her crib?! Where is she?!' He heard the sound of people talking and followed it to the kitchen.

Relief flooded Roy when he saw Lian in her high-chair, Connor feeding her a bottle. "What's going on?" he asked quietly.

"Oh, hi, Roy," Mia said. "We thought you could use some rest, so we got Lian up this morning."

"We changed her, got her dressed and now she's enjoying breakfast," Connor added. "It only took us three tries to get the formula right."

"Thanks…" Roy answered idly as he sat at the table with them. "Why didn't I hear her cry though?"

Mia smiled as she held up the baby monitor. "Swiped this from your room," she replied simply. "I thought you were going to wake up, but you must've been in a really deep sleep."

"I'm surprised I could fall asleep at all." Trying not to disturb her too much, Roy stroked Lian's head.

"Where did Jade go?"

"I don't know. She said she was leaving for a couple days and took off."

"So you don't know when she'll come back?"

"No, but it's fine. Her sister is dead, let's give her some time to process everything. When she comes back, we'll be here for her." Then they could work through this together. 'We'll have each other, which is the important thing.'

Mia glanced at the time, then back at Roy. "Uh…I have to go to therapy unless you want me to stay?"

"No! Well…" Roy hesitated. He hated the idea of letting Mia go out by herself. Even if she was a trained vigilante, knowing Kaldur was out there somewhere, perfectly willing to kill his old friends made him wan tot keep her home. 'But I can't prevent her from going to therapy. She's finally participating and it's been helping her. I don't want to talk away from that.' But what good was therapy if she was dead?

As if he could sense what Roy's problem was, Connor cleared his throat. "Uh…I can walk Mia to her therapy, then walk home with her after," he offered.

"Are you sure, Connor?"

"Of course. I like to take walks and besides, it's warm today."

"Well…ok. But stick together and call me if anything suspicious happens."

"We will," Mia reassured him as she and Connor left the kitchen.

Roy sighed and lifted Lian out of her high-chair so he could hold her. "Do you want to lay on the couch with Daddy, baby girl?" They could lay together and Roy could keep his daughter safe.

— —

Mia sighed as she sat in Nicky's office, slumped down on the bean bag. "What's up?" she asked.

"I could ask you the same thing," Nicky replied. "Why the long face?"

"My foster dad had a friend…pass away last night, so it's kind of depressing at home right now."

"That's a shame. I'm sorry to hear that. Other than last night, how have things been at home?"

"They're fine. I got a B on my math test. That girl stopped bothering Connor, so I still stand by what I did to her."

"You mean dunking her head in the sink?"

"Of course."

Nicky tried not to smile. "Mia, as happy as I am that you're standing up for your foster brother, I feel obligated to tell you to use your words."

"I did use my words. I told her to back off and she called me a whore, so I dunked her head in the sink. All our actions have consequences."

"Hmm… Can I ask you a question, Mia?"

Mia was quiet for a moment before she nodded, trying to resist her usual reaction of denying her request. "Go for it."

"If you don't mind my observations, you seem to get very upset when anyone calls you a…derogatory name."

"Wouldn't you?"

"Of course, but when we first met you used words like that quite frequently. In fact, you still occasionally do."

Mia shrugged. "It's different when it's someone else coming after me. Even if what they're saying is true."

"You know it isn't, MIa."

"Why not? I have slept with more men than any girl my age. Maybe more than most women your age."

"Men that you were forced to sleep with-"

"I wasn't forced. I chose to become a prostitute."

Nicky was quiet for a few seconds. "Was it your idea to become a prostitute?"

"Well…no. It was Richard's."

"Why did you do it?"

"Because… Because I was afraid I said no, he'd throw me out. It sucks being homeless. It was nice to have a bed and warm food. And it wasn't so lonely."

"If you had known, without a doubt, that Richard wouldn't have thrown you out if you had said no to becoming a prostitute, would you have done it?"

Mia hesitated. "It didn't seem like a big deal. After everything that happened with my dad… I wanted a place to stay and I'd already had sex before so…" She shrugged.

"But is it something you would've sought out to do on your own?"

"…Probably not. It's dangerous and illegal, so if I'd had another option, I don't think I would've been happy to survive off prostitution." Especially not at the age of 12.

"So if it's not something you would've chosen for yourself, do you think there's any chance you may have been forced to do it?"

"…I really don't like this conversation."

"You don't have to answer, Mia. It's just something I want you to consider."

"Fine, whatever." Mia had no intention of doing something like that, but she knew saying so would count against her in the program. The rest of her therapy was the same as it usually was. She discussed one or two moments from her old life, then had a 15-minute break where they provided juice and cookies before Group. Group theory was very preferable to one-on-one because Mia didn't have to spend the whole hour talking herself. She could spend most of it listening to others and only adding her own input once in a while. Because of that, Group passed quickly and before she knew it, Mia met Connor outside the Women's Resource Center.

"How was it?" he asked as they walked home.

"It was fine," Mia answered. "I-" She stopped suddenly and looked around.

Connor stopped as well, then looked back at her. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing…"

"Doesn't seem like nothing." When she kept looking around, Connor did as well. "Mia-"

"It's nothing, Connor. Let's get home before Roy has a panic attack." Mia started walking again, leaving Connor to catch up.

"What's going on?"

"It's nothing, I just… I thought I felt someone following us."

"You…felt it?"

"You know, like when we're…doing extra-curricular and we just know someone is behind us or sneaking up, on us?"

"Yeah."

"It's like that. I felt it a couple weeks ago too on the way home from school."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"I thought it was nothing. Like it is now. I'm probably just paranoid." She glanced at him. "And…let's not mention it to Roy? He's got enough on his plate right now."

"Yeah, you're right. Plus, this is a busy city, it's probably nothing."

— —

The next day, Roy was feeding Lian in the kitchen when Jade walked in. He startled, but quickly regained his bearings. "Hey…" he said quietly in greeting.

"Hey," Jade replied stiffly, crossing her arms. "I uh… I'm taking Lian for the day."

"Taking her where?"

"To Gotham. My mom… I heard she's planning on visiting Artemis' grave today and I wanted to bring Lian with me. You know, so they can meet and stuff." She would've preferred her mother not to be meeting Lian for the first time at what was essentially a funeral, but what could she do?

"Oh, of course. Do you…need me to go with you for support?"

"No, it's fine. I can do this alone. I need to. I know the offer is sincere, but if my father shows up, the last thing I need is for him to see that kind of weakness." The fact that it was a sincere offer alone was enough to make Jade say no. She didn't need Roy around the rest of her family (particularly her dad) when he was being as infuriatingly altruistic as he usually was. So Jade got Lian out of her high-chair and brought her to her room she could get some shoes. "I know shoes may seem pointless because you can't even walk, but I don't want people to think I'm not taking care of you. Your grandfather might not care, but your grandmother will." Lian kicked her feet after Jade put the tiny sneakers on her. "It's only for a little while. Then you can take them off. Promise." Jade swaddled Lian in a dark blanket before lifting her daughter into her arms. She took a deep breath. "Ok, cutie. Let's go."

— —

When Jade got to Gotham Central Cemetery, she hung back, watching her mother and Wally at Artemis' grave. She was far enough away that for a couple of minutes it was completely silent. Then, the sound of footsteps, so slight and quiet that most people would've missed them, alerted her to another person's approach. However, the gait was incredibly familiar and there was only one other person who would be trying to sneak up on her right now. "I know we've had our differences," she said before the person could say or do anything. "But Artemis was my sister. I loved her." She looked down at Lian sadly. "I should have taken better care of her." She looked back at her father. "Protected her from you for starters."

"Yeah well, too late for that now, little girl," Sportsmaster replied unemotionally.

Jade's face twisted into an angry scowl. "But it's not too late to get vengeance on her killer." Her own injuries had confirmed it was the former Aqualad that had killed her sister. Kaldur'ahm was the person responsible for this, so he would be the person she'd go after for it. "Aqualad is mine."

"As usual Jade, you're missing the point. Artemis' death is an insult to our professional reputations. The son of Black Manta cannot kill Sportsmaster's daughter; not without running it by me first." It took every ounce of self-control Jade had to not roll her eyes. "I can' let this stand. Or everyone will think I'm a punk! You can have Aqualad. I want a reckoning with Manta."

'Of course, he sees it that way,' Jade thought as she turned away to watch her mother again. 'I'll definitely need his help to track down Kadlur'ahm.' So she just had to deal with it. "I'll contact you later tonight."

"I look forward to it, little girl."

Jade looked down at Lian, who was still asleep and kissed her forehead. A few minutes later, Wally West left, leaving her mother alone. Trying not to feel the nervousness building in her stomach, Jade slowly walked down the hill. She didn't say anything as she came to a stop beside her mother.

"What are you doing here?" Paula asked.

"Just…here to pay my respects," Jade replied quietly.

"Couldn't be bothered to do it while your sister was alive?"

The jab hurt, but Jade knew it was well deserved. "I can't change the past, Mom. None of us can."

"No. We can't." Paula finally turned to Jade, only for her mouth to drop open a little when she saw the bundle in her older daughter's arms. "Is that-"

"Her name is Lian Harper Nguyen. Do you want to hold her?"

Paula could only nod as the baby was passed gently into her arms. "She's beautiful. Who's the father?"

"…Not important."

"He's not in The Life, is he?"

"No! God, no. The father's nothing like me or Dad. He's a good man. Really good."

"I'm glad." Tears leaked from the corners of Paula's eyes as she stroked Lian's face. "She's wonderful, Jade. Make sure you take care of her."

"…I'll make sure she's well taken care of." Jade turned back to look at the gravestone with her sister's name on it. 'But first, there's one thing I have to do.'

— —

By the time she got back to Star City, it was late. Much later than she'd wanted to go back, but it proved to be a blessing. Roy and the kids were already in bed, allowing Jade to slip in and put Lian down. Once she was certain the baby was asleep, Jade went to her room. She picked up the folded letter from her desk.

First, Jade went to Roy's bedroom. It was dark and he was fast asleep. He didn't even stir as she slipped in silently. For a moment, seeing him sleeping peacefully, so wonderful and handsome, she almost considered not going through with it. There was so much going on that it was almost easy to say she didn't know the right decision. However, there were three things she was absolutely sure of.

1\. Jade loved Artemis. No matter what had happened between them, no matter what Jade had said in her youth, Artemis was her sister.

2\. Jade owed Artemis. She hadn't been there for her sister for years. Leaving her alone with their father when she was young and vulnerable. The least she could do was take revenge on the person who'd cut her life short. Which lead her to…

3\. Kaldur'ahm was Artemis' murderer and Roy's ex-boyfriend. As much as Jade tried, deep down, she couldn't deny the feelings she felt for Roy. He would never approve of what she was about to do; and the last thing Jade wanted was to hurt him.

'Which is why I have to do this,' Jade thought as she set the letter down on his dresser. 'I can't involve Roy.' She gave him one last look before leaving his room.

Next, she went to Lian's room, where the baby was still asleep. This was just as difficult for Jade as she leaned over the bars of the crib to gently give her daughter a good-bye kiss. "I'm sorry, Lian," she whispered, despite knowing no one would hear. "But I have to do this. Once Roy finds out… I wouldn't blame your father for never letting me come near you after this. Considering all he's been though…I wouldn't blame him. I hate leaving you like I did Artemis, but this time I know I'm leaving you in good hands. Roy, Mia, and Connor will take good care of you. You're going to be fine. Even if we never meet again, know that I love you more than anything. Even if I wasn't here to show you." Jade gave Lian one last kiss before she silently returned to her own room.

Finally, Jade grabbed two bags. The first was a bag she'd packed before she'd left that morning with most of her belongings. She slipped it over her body, then grabbed the second bag. This one had her suit, mask, and weapons. Jade donned her baseball cap and opened her window. For a moment, she hesitated again, then climbed out the window, making sure to close it behind her. And like the Cheshire cat, she disappeared.


	42. On His Own

A/N: So, there's a lot of Roy being a dad in this chapter. Enjoy and let me know what you think!

It was quiet when Roy woke. At first, he was completely at ease. Quiet mornings meant easy mornings. The weight of grief was still on his chest, but it wasn't as bad as it had been. At the very least, it was enough for him to get up and get dressed. 'I think I'm somehow up before Lian,' he thought as he pulled his shirt over his head. 'Hopefully, this means she'll be sleeping through the night soon.' When he turned back to his dresser, Roy paused. There was a folded piece of paper with his name on it. A frown slowly crossed his face as he picked it up.

"Roy,

There's something I have to do. I won't tell you what, because I don't want to involve you. I'd tell you to take care of Lian, but I know that you will. I'm sorry for leaving you like this, but there's something important I have to do Maybe in another life, things could've been different between us. Take care. I know you that can. No one is more capable than you."

Despite the lack of signature, there wasn't a doubt in Roy's mind who had written this. Before he could even think, Roy practically bolted from his room. He stopped inside Jade's, heart pounding in his chest. The room was completely empty. No possessions or signs of occupation. Roy ran to the dresser and pulled out drawers, but even the few clothes Jade owned were gone. He threw himself to the ground to look under the bed. Her weapons were gone too. Slowly, Roy sat up onto his knees. He stared at the floor numbly for a few seconds, then carefully unfolded the paper. Almost without thinking, he re-read it. Then again. And again. Every time his eyes swept over the words, his heart started pounding harder and harder. His breathing got faster as his brain slowly, but surely, processed what was happening.

Jade was gone. She'd abandoned him and Lian. Took off for some…unknown mission without warning. She was gone and he was on his own.

The last realization hit Roy like a punch to the gut. 'Jade… She's gone…' he thought numbly. 'She's gone and now I have to take care of Lian alone… And Connor and Mia. And be a vigilante and run my business-' He closed his eyes, driving the heels of his hands into them. 'I could barely do this with Jade helping. How the hell am I supposed to do it alone?!' There was no way he could do this all by himself. 'I- I can't do this! I can't!' Vaguely, Roy was aware that his legs and hands were shaking horribly. 'I- I can't do this alone!' How could he possibly take care of three kids and himself?! On top of trying to be Red Arrow and run his business?! The sheer amount of stress was overwhelming. There was too much to do. Roy wanted to cry. How could he do any of this?

Then, distantly, he heard Lain crying. Screeching, like she did every morning. The high-pitched noise got through Roy's panic. He latched onto it, using it as an anchor. Something for him to focus on. Roy took a deep breath, slowly forcing air in and out of his lungs. He stayed focused on his breathing. In and out. In and out. He started counting in his head, forcing the breaths even deeper and slower. Eventually, the panic subsided. It didn't completely disappear but was pushed to the farthest edges of his mind. Far enough that he was able to push himself off the ground and leave the room. He went to Lian, numbly going through the motions of getting her up and ready for the day. When she was changed and dressed, he carried her to the kitchen to put her in her high chair. Then he stood in the kitchen, numbly staring at the wall.

'I- I need to do something…' he thought slowly. 'I have to do…something.' His eyes glanced around and landed on the clock. "Breakfast. We- We need breakfast." So he made breakfast. He didn't even think about anything else. All of Roy's energy was focused on making breakfast. He warmed up a bottle of formula for Lian, then when she was happily slurping it down, he started cooking for the older kids. He was just putting pancakes on the table when Mia and Connor walked in.

"Morning," Mia said as she grabbed the syrup before Connor could. "Hi, baby." She kissed the top of Lian's head as she passed her, then sat down.

"You're kissing her even though she woke you?" Connor asked with a smile. As soon as Mia set the syrup down, he swiped it from her to pour over this own pancakes.

"And she didn't wake you?"

"No, because I was already up meditating."

"Well, did she disturb your meditation?"

"No." Connor grabbed the bowl of fruit and dumped half the halved strawberries onto his pancakes. "Part of meditation is learning to ignore worldly distractions. If anything, she's helping."

Mia rolled her eyes. "Whatever." She took a bite of a pancake before looking at Roy. "Is Jade joining us?"

"…No," Roy repelled quietly as he gave them both glasses of orange juice.

"Still asleep?" Instead of answering, Roy grabbed the crumpled note from his back pocket and dropped it onto the table. Mia and Connor gave each other looks of confusion as he turned away to start the dishes. With some caution, Mia picked up the note and unfolded it. Connor leaned over to read it over her shoulder. Both the teens felt stones settle in their stomachs when they finished. They looked at each other, then at Roy. "Why would she leave?"

"I don't know."

"Well…did something happen?" Connor asked. "Did you two have a fight or-"

"Nothing happened!" Roy slammed a glass down, shattering it. "She wanted to take Lian to Gotham yesterday to…to see her sister's grave…and that was the last thing I said to her. I went to bed before she got back." Roy looked down at his hand. Glass shards were embedded in the palm of his left hand. He sighed, then went to the bathroom. Grabbing a pair of tweezers, he carefully began removing the shards. His fingers didn't even twitch as he did. It sent a hot feeling through his chest. Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes. 'What's wrong with me?' The state of his hand, the scarred flesh, and damaged nerves hadn't bothered him in years. He'd long ago made peace with it. 'Yet here I am, alone, pulling glass out of a hand I can't even feel.' Once the last piece was gone, he ran his underwater to make sure he got them all. He went back to the kitchen, where Connor and Mia were quietly eating their pancakes.

"I picked up the glass," Connor told Roy.

"Thanks. I'm… I need to go shoot."

"We'll keep an eye on Lian," Mia told him. She nodded her head at the infant, who was happily playing with the small puddle of syrup someone had poured onto her high chair tray.

Somewhere in the back of Roy's mind, he knew he should clean her up before she made a mess, but the thought didn't make it far. So he left the apartment and went downstairs to the Cave. Roy didn't focus on anything else as he grabbed his bow and full quiver. He hadn't even reached the target before he started shooting. Within two minutes, he'd emptied the whole quiver. He re-filled it, then went back to shooting. Once everything else faded away, Roy could think. The constant movements of his shooting forced everything else out of his mind. Even the numbness started to subside with every bullseye he drove into the target.

'Evaluate,' he thought as he fired again. 'I have…so much to take care of, but I'm on my own.' Kaldur was a criminal now (he'd murdered one of their friends). Bruce was off-planet. Dick was busy with the team and watching over Gotham. Dinah was helping the League with so many members away from the Earth. Jade was gone. 'I'm on my own now. Everyone I counted on, the whole reason I was able to get this far…they're not here now.' There was so much that could go wrong. 'What if my mental health starts slipping again? It's been good lately, but that can change…' But Roy knew how to manage his mental health. He had all the skills necessary to take care of himself. 'But what if it's not enough? What if I can't take care of myself and then I can't take care of the kids and-' The arrow missed the bullseye, jerking Roy out of his spiral. For a moment, there was a bolt of anxiety that went through his heart, but Roy ignored it.

'I- I can't keep falling into the traps of 'what ifs', he thought as he walked up to the target. Roy started pulling arrows and loading them back into his quiver. 'Maybe everything will go to hell. Maybe it won't. I need to focus on what's actually happening right now in front of me.' What was happening right now? 'I have three kids to take care of. I have a city to protect, especially if Kaldur is already willing to kill his former friends. Two sidekicks to keep training. I'll definitely have to up their combat skills, just in case. We need to eat, so I have to keep running my business. Plus, I have all those missing people counting on me too.' There was a lot to do, but that was just the way it was right now. 'Maybe I can get help from Bruce when he gets back from Rimbor. For now...I guess I have to manage.' Roy looked down at his bow, then sighed. He put his bow and quiver away, then went back upstairs.

When he walked into the living room, Connor and Mia were on the couch with Lian, watching Sesame Street.

"This Mr. Noddle clown really needs to get his life together," Mia said, one arm around Lian, who was watching the show while she sucked on one end of a toy. "He's being shown up by a puppet!"

"Shh!" Connor hushed her quietly. Lian's other hand was holding two fingers from his hand. "Lian doesn't know they're puppets."

Lian noticed Roy and held out one of her hands to him. "Gah!" she cooed excitedly.

Despite himself, Roy couldn't help but smile as he picked her up. "Hey, baby girl," he said quietly. "Are you having fun with Mia and Connor?"

"She's really into these muppets," Mia nodded.

"Hmm…" Roy started bouncing Lian a little to keep her quiet. "Ok, guys, here's the deal."

'Uh-oh,' Connor thought as he turned the tv off. 'That's not good…'

"Jade's gone and…I don't know if she's going to come back." And if he was being completely honest, he didn't feel like he had the time to care right now. "So, I'm going to need your guys' help around here."

"With what?"

"I don't know…everything? Taking care of Lian. You guys will need to be in charge of each other, making sure you're doing homework and getting ready for school, things like that. The hardest part will be patrolling. I can't go out with you guys and leave Lian alone."

"So…what are we going to do?" Connor's heart started pounding a little bit at the thought of not being able to patrol anymore.

"…I'm not completely sure yet. I'll stay home for a couple of nights until we get everything figured out."

"Is that a good idea?" Mia asked him.

"It'll be fine. The city will survive without me- us, for a couple days." As much as Roy itched to go out on patrol, he could feel the need to move in his muscles, he knew he couldn't go. 'They need me here right now. I need to be here with the kids until we figure this out. Star will be ok without me.'

— —

For a couple of days, everything was very chaotic. Roy had never realized how much he'd come to depend on Jade until he was getting ready for work the next day and realized he couldn't go because he had to watch Lian.

"We can always stay home with her," Mia offered as she pulled her uniform sweater over her head. "We don't really need to go to school."

"You have to go to school," Roy replied, watching as Lian. "It'll be fine. I'll stay here with Lian. Have a good day."

"We'll do our best. Right, Connor?"

"I like school," Connor said, halfway through pulling his own sweater on.

Roy looked up at him in surprise. "You do?"

"Uh…yeah…"

Mia smirked a little as Connor looked away quickly to check his bag. "Don't let him fool you," she told Roy. "He just likes art class."

"Art class?" Roy asked slowly, his brow furrowing.

"We should go if we don't want to be late," Connor said quickly. "Bye, Roy. Bye, Lian." He kissed Lian on the top of the head as he passed her. "Come on, Mia."

"Later, Roy," Mia smiled. "Bye, Lian." She also kissed the baby as she passed and three seconds later the door closed.

"Well, baby girl, looks like it's just us," Roy told her. "Why don't we go to the living room so Daddy can do some research, huh?" He picked her up and stopped by his bedroom to grab his laptop. Lian played on the floor, rolling balls and stacking blocks while Roy tried to figure out what he was going to do. 'I guess I need to send her to daycare,' he thought. 'But…where?' The idea of letting people he didn't know, take care of his daughter made him nervous. His inner vigilante couldn't help but keep providing reasons why letting strangers take care of her was a bad idea. 'But I have to work, I don't think I really have a choice. Besides, I'm Red Arrow. I can do my homework and make sure that wherever she goes, she'll be taken care of and happy there.' Plus, this would give Lian a chance to start socializing with other babies. "And I'm sure when you're older you'll have lots of friends," Roy said aloud. He looked up in time to see Lian throwing a block across the room. "You're already so energetic and smart. The other kids will absolutely adore you."

By lunchtime, Roy had a list of potential daycares where Lian would be spending her days. "I still need to do some more online research and background checks of my own, but we can arrange to visit the finalists tomorrow," Roy said as he made lunch for the two of them. A bottle of formula for Lian and a sandwich for him. When she finished the bottle, he mashed up a banana for her to eat. After that, Lian took a nap and Roy kept working. His nervousness about leaving Lian with strangers started to subside the more he was able to understand the people running the different daycare centers. He kept working until Lian woke up then took a break so he could play with her. "Is this what you and Mommy would do all day, huh, sweetie?" Roy asked as he stacked blocks for Lian to knockdown. A frown crossed his face and sadness bolted through him. "I really hate that I don't know if she's coming back.

"My mom left when I was young too. Probably around your age. My biological dad died when I was 2, so I don't really know anything about her. I've never really had a mom, but I turned out pretty ok." He smiled a little as Lian knocked over the tower of blocks again, then started re-stacking them. "But we'll be ok. We have Connor and Mia. When Bruce gets back from Rimbor I'll introduce you to my…extended family. They'll love to meet you too." Lian just gurgled as she put a block in her mouth. Roy smiled even more and gently pulled it out so he could add it to the small tower.

When Connor and Mia came home from school that afternoon, Lian was laying by herself and Roy was on the phone. They snuck in quietly to sit on the floor with Lian.

"Ok," Roy said, pacing back and forth a little bit as he talked. "Ok. See you tomorrow at 10:30. Ok, thank you."

"Who was that?" Mia asked as he hung up.

"I'm bringing Lian to a daycare center tomorrow," Roy explained as he picked the baby up. "She's going to meet the woman who runs it to see if she'll be a good fit."

"I'm sure she will."

"Come on, Mia," Connor said, nudging her gently with his shoulder. "Let's do our homework."

"Fine," Mia sighed dramatically. "If we must."

Roy smiled as he carried Lion to her room for her second nap. "Hopefully we can get you into daycare tomorrow. It'll be a big help to Daddy if we can."

— —

The next day, after Connor and Mia left for school, Roy got Lian dressed for their important meeting. "You, Miss Lian," he said, standing her up on her feet, "look beautiful."

Lian smiled and giggled in response.

"Who's a pretty baby?" He kissed her forehead, then hauled her up into his arms. "We want to charm today, right?" Lian reached out to stick her fingers in his mouth. "Glad you agree. Come on." Since the daycare center was so close to the apartment, (which was a big advantage in his mind) Roy decided to walk there. 'We were cooped up all day,' he thought as he buckled Lian into her shoulder. 'Maybe after the meeting at the center, we can go to the park or something. She'd probably like that.' Roy reached down to ruffle his daughter's feather-light hair gently. As he walked, Roy choked his bag three times to make sure he'd brought all the necessary paperwork and forms. "We're going to be ok, Lian," he reassured her. "We're going to be ok. Everything's ok." The center, Rainbow Child Care and Learning Center was a brick building with color murals decorating the walls. Roy couldn't see the kids playing, due to the yards being in the back, but he could hear them. "This looks like a fun place, huh, baby girl?" He entered the lobby, where a young woman was sitting at a desk.

"Hi," she said as they approached. "Who are you?"

"I'm Raymond Wayne. I have a meeting with Amber Thatcher at 10:30."

"Hm… Let's just see… Yup. Have a seat and Amber I'll let Amber know you're here."

"Thanks." Roy steered the stroller over to a bench and moved it so he and Lian were facing each other. "You ready for your big moment, sweetie?" Lian just blinked at him. "Of course you are. You'll be great. Who wouldn't love these chubby little cheeks?" Roy gently squeezed Lian's cheeks and wiggled them, prompting a giggle from her.

"Well, that's a happy baby if I've ever heard one," a voice said. Roy looked up to see a middle-aged woman standing in front of him. She smiled and crouched down so she was on the level of Lian's stroller. "I'm Amber Thatcher. You must be Raymond Wayne."

"Just ray, please," Roy replied shaking her hand.

"Ray. And this cute must be Lian." Amber studied the baby for a moment before standing. "right this way." She led Roy to a door, then swiped her badge to get through. They walked down a hall that, like the outside, was decorated with really bright murals. "We have 5 levels of classes here. Our Red Room is for the youngest, ages 3 months to 1-year-olds. The Orange room is for 1 to 2 years. The Yellow Room has our 2 and 3-year-olds. Green Room is for the 4-year-olds. After that, the rooms are elusively for before and after-school care. We have buses that picks up and drops off in front of this building. Blue for kindergarteners. Indigo Room for 7 to 9-year-olds and Violet Room for 10-12-year-olds."

"This is quite a set-up you guys have. It's very…expansive."

"My philosophy in founding this place was that children need consistency. A place where they'll always feel safe and welcomed. Whether they're just infants having fun, or pre-schoolers learning the alphabet, or coming here after-school to do homework, we're with our kids until they're capable of taking care of themselves."

"That's a wonderful philosophy."

"Thank you. It's a good thing you called when you did, we just had an opening come up in the Red Room. We're going to introduce Lian to the teachers, Kim and Ashley, who run it. We'll also observe her playing with the other infants to see if her temperament is a match for the others."

"She has a great temperament and she loves playing with my two foster kids."

"That's good news. Hopefully, this will be nice and quick." She stopped outside a room with a red door and once again swiped her badge to get inside. The best way Roy could've described the room they walked into was controlled chaos. There was a line of cribs against one wall, and against an adjacent wall (the one the door was on) was some cubbies and a countertop and sink and a fridge next to the sink. In the middle of the floor, was a circle rug where almost a dozen infants playing. Roy moved the stroller aghast the wall, then unbuckled Lian and carried her toward the center of the room. He approached Amber, who stood with two younger women. "Ray, this is Kim and this is Ashley. They're the teachers here in the Red Room."

"Nice to meet you guys. This is Lian Nguyen."

"Hi, Lian," Kim smiled. "Oh, she's adorable. May I?" Roy would be proud to say he only hesitated for a few seconds before he handed Lian to her. Still, though, he watched carefully as she took Lian into her arms with a smile. "Hello, beautiful. Oh, I bet you have the best smile. Huh?" She looked at Roy. "Has she started eating solid foods yet?"

"No, just formula for now, but I've was going to start weening her onto baby food next month."

"And she takes regular naps?"

"Yes, twice a day."

"Very nice." Kim handed Lian to Ashley, who looked just as excited to meet her.

"Hi, sweetie," she cooed gently. "Is it alright if I set her down to play with the other kids?"

"Of course," Roy replied.

Ashley set Lian down on the rug and she sat there, looking around expectantly. There was a block near her, so she picked it up and started banging it off the ground. Another infant crawled up to her, then sat in front of Lian. He held out another block, which she took and stacked them. Roy smiled a little bit to see her interacting with other babies for once. 'Maybe this will be a good thing for her,' he thought. 'I really want her to have a normal childhood.' Or as normal as he could make it at least.

"Why don't we step against the wall?" Amber suggested.

Roy nodded and followed her so he stood against the far wall. At first, Lian would stop every few seconds and look around. Her short attention span was soon drawn by the toys around her. She found a soft book and began shaking it, her favorite activity when someone wasn't using it to read to her.

"Lian is quite social for being so young."

'Because she's amazing,' Roy thought with a proud smile. "She played with my foster-kids at home."

"It shows. Why don't we step into the hall? We can watch them through the window."

"Ok." There was a small flare of anxiety in Roy's chest when he stepped outside, but Lian barely seemed to notice. Looking through the window in the door, he could see she now had three other infants sitting with her. A smile spread across Roy's face. 'I knew they'd like her. She's amazing. Who wouldn't love her?'

"Looks like Lian is getting along fine with the others. Let's go talk in my office."

"…Sure." Roy followed Amber to her office, then sat in a chair across from her. "So? What'd you think?"

Amber chuckled. "Relax, Ray. Based on the observations I made, Lian is a great fit for our school. I'd be happy to have her here."

"Thank you so much." That was one huge worry off Roy's shoulders.

"I just need you to fill out some forms. Did you bring the paperwork we need?"

"Yes." Roy pulled out a manila envelope, which contained Lian's birth certificate, medical records, and immunization records. He traded them for the forms on a clipboard with a pen tied to it. 'Wait until I tell Connor and Mia! I'm sure they'll be thrilled!' Roy couldn't help but smile as he slowly made his way through all the mundane forms. When he finished, the handed them back and Amber looked through them.

"You've given your foster kids permission to pick up Lian or sign her out?"

"Yes. I know they're only 15, but they're responsible kids."

"Ok. Hmm, I notice you didn't put her mom on the list."

Roy's stomach shriveled up a little. What did he say?! "Uh… Lian's mother and I aren't… She's not…in the picture right now." Maybe never be again. Could potentially have left them forever without so much as a good-bye or proper explanation.

"I see."

'Try not to think about it,' Roy told himself mentally. 'Just..focus on what's going on right now. Just focus on Lian.' Thankfully, Amber didn't ask about Jade for the rest of the meeting. When she finished looking over the paperwork, Roy paid her the tuition, then followed her back toward the Red Room. Upon walking in, Roy couldn't help but smile again. Lian was rolling a ball back and forth with a boy who looked about her age. They passed it with intense looks on their faces, like this was the most important task they'd ever had. (Which considering their age was entirely possible.) "Time to go, sweetie," Roy said as he leaned down to pick Lian up. She whined a little but stopped when he started bouncing her gently. "I know, you're making friends, but you'll be back tomorrow. Say bye-bye."

"Bye, Lian," Ashley smiled, gently shaking the baby's hand. "We'll see you soon."

"I'll walk you out," Amber said as Roy buckled Lian back into her stroller.

"I think she's really going to like it here," Roy observed as they walked back to the front. "Which is a relief because she's used to staying at home all day with people she knows."

"Babies can be surprisingly adaptive." They shook hands at the door. "It was nice to meet you, Raymond. We look forward to having you and Lian here."

"We look forward to being here." After they left, Roy smiled down at Lian over the bat of the stroller. "We did it, baby girl! We got you into daycare! Why don't we go to the park to celebrate?" Lian gurgled, which he took as an agreement. So Roy steered them to the park in their neighborhood. He put Lian in a swing, then gently pushed her. She laughed, kicking her feet and fists as she swung. 'I did it all on my own,' Roy thought proudly. 'I got Lian into daycare, so I can still work during the day.' That was only one task on his very long list of tasks, but it still felt significant.

"Aww, what a cutie," a voice said. Roy lifted his head to see a blonde woman watching him. She stood leaning against a pole of the swing set. Is she yours?"

"Yeah. That's Lian."

"And what's your name?"

"Raymond."

"Nice to meet you, Raymond. I'm Liz."

Roy looked at her, then awkwardly looked away. He could feel her watching him and shifted on his feet. 'What does she want?' he wondered. After a few seconds, he glanced up, then back down. She was still standing there. Not knowing what else to do, he quietly cleared his throat. "Uh… Nice talking to you, but Lian and I are…busy."

"You don't look busy."

"We are."

"Ohhh…." she just about pouted, before shrugging. "Ok. See you, Raymond."

Roy frowned as he went back to pushing Lian on the swing. 'That was weird… I mean, I think she was flirting with me.' Which was weird, because he wasn't used to people flirting with him. There wasn't a lot of time to meet someone when you were busy raising three kids (two teenagers and one under the age of 1) while patrolling as a vigilante. 'Plus…dating hasn't really been high on my list of preferred activities since Kal…' The thought sent a bolt of sadness through Roy's heart. "Can I tell you a secret, Lian? Daddy had a boyfriend he loved very much. I thought we'd always be together. Then he…well, the details aren't important. Anyway, your mom was there to keep me together when my whole world fell apart. Even though I had to move on from Kal…. I always wondered in maybe your mom and I…if we could have what Kal and I used to have. Then you were born and I thought that it could happen. But…it looks like that was just a dream." Roy sighed. "Maybe it's my fault. I thought I had plenty of time and your mom would always be…there." But people in his life had a habit of just disappearing or turning out to be someone he'd never dreamed they'd be. "We're doing ok though. Hm? I got you into daycare all on my own. It's been a few days and everyone's still alive. I think we'll be ok, baby girl. I can do this."

He could take care of the kids and Star City all on his own. Roy was fine. He could do this.

He had to.


	43. A Family Matter

A/N: Here's the next chapter! Enjoy and let me know what you think!

"Have you seen Roy?" Mia asked Connor as she walked into the living room.

"No," he answered, not looking up from his book. "Probably napping. Why?"

"Well we haven't seen him in a few days, so I just wanted to make sure he's alive."

"He's fine. Really tired, but fine."

'Tired is probably an understatement,' Mia thought as she flopped onto the couch next to him. In the past few days, between work, patrol, and getting up with Lian at night, Roy seemed to be doing very little sleeping. She looked over at Lian, who was sleeping in her playpen. "Do you think we're doing enough?"

"What'd you mean?"

"To help Roy. I feel bad he's running himself ragged with everything he has to do, you know? Like, we get ourselves up and eat breakfast and get ready for school, but all teenagers do that kind of stuff. Is there like…more we could be doing to make things easier for him? I mean…Roy's done a lot for us and, I don't know about you, but he's the closest thing to family I have."

"…He is," Connor admitted quietly. "Well, I could probably help out with making dinner. I like cooking, I used to have to do it every day at the monastery, so it wouldn't be difficult."

"I can't really cook. But I could help with Lian. You know, keeping an eye on her so Roy could nap or something." She looked at Connor who nodded. Mia sat back again and crossed her arms. "This whole situation kind of sucks, you know? I mean, Roy's never really done anything, he's the best hero in the world, and shitty things keep happening to him. People keep disappearing and leaving him. I just think he deserves better. Doesn't he?"

"He does. It isn't right that people he loves or trusts keep doing this to him."

'Good thing he has us,' Mia thought as she turned the tv on. 'Roy needs us to help him.'

The two of them stayed where they were for a few hours, Connor reading and Mia watching tv. Eventually, Connor glanced up at the time and shut his book. "I'm going to start dinner," he said. "Want to help?"

"I'll stay here and keep an eye on Lian."

"Suit yourself."

Mia glanced over at the sleeping infant, who hadn't so much as squirmed. 'At least someone can sleep around here,' she thought as she turned back to the tv.

— —

Roy woke up slowly, blinking in confusion. He sat up and glanced at the window. 'It's dark,' he thought. After a yawn and stretch, he checked his alarm clock, then sighed. 'Oh man, I overslept! The kids are probably hungry…' Roy got out of bed, running his hands through his hair as he walked into the kitchen. He stopped in the doorway in surprise. Connor and Mia were sitting at the table, eating, while Lian was in her high-chair, picking at a mashed banana. "What's going on?"

"Morning," Mia teased.

"I made dinner," Connor said, elbowing her.

"You made dinner?" Roy asked him as he slowly walked toward them.

"Uh-huh."

"And I fed and changed Lian," Mia added.

"You… You guys didn't have to do that," Roy said as he sat down. "I could've-"

"You were sleeping."

"You could've woken me up-"

"You need to sleep," Connor argued. "You've barely slept in the past couple of days. So we decided to help you out."

"But, I'm the adult… I'm supposed to take care of you guys-"

"We're a family," Mia told him firmly. "We help each other out." At least, this was she assumed families were supposed to be like.

A warm feeling spread through Roy's chest. He glanced at Connor, but he didn't seem to be thinking twice about Mia's assertion. The teen just wiped banana off Lian's face. So he made himself a plate, then joined them at the table to eat. "Mmm. This is very good Connor."

"Thanks," he replied. "Sorry it's all vegetarian, but I'm a little unsure about cooking with meat."

"That's ok. It's delicious."

"We let Lian try some mashed potatoes," Mia said. "She seemed to like it."

"She spit them out," Connor reminded her.

"Yeah, but she smiled while she did it."

"I don't think that's how it works."

"Sure it is."

Roy smiled at his plate and shook his head. 'These kids…' he thought fondly.

"We have to go watch the news for our homework," Connor told Roy. "Or…we can stay if you don't want to be alone…"

"It's fine, Connor. I'll be alright. I have Lian." Roy reached out and gently wiped some mashed-up banana from her chin. She smiled and reached out with a banana-covered hand. "No thanks, I'm good." He went back to his dinner, listening to Lian babble (presumably about how much she loved her banana) and the distant sound of the tv in the living room. The warm feeling from earlier persisted at how…calm everything was. It was calm and homey and…normal. It was the first time things had felt normal in days, and Roy couldn't help but love it.

When he finished eating, he cleaned up; gently wiped Lian down with a wet paper towel, then carried her into the living room. The tv was still on, playing the news when he walked in and the story immediately caught his attention.

"Local and federal authorities are still trying to determine the cause a large explosion in Happy Harbor, Rhode Island," the news anchor said. "Thankfully, there have been no reported injuries or fatalities."

Roy's heart stopped when he saw that the picture next to her was of Mount Justice. Or…what was Mount Justice. Everything stopped. The voice of the anchor moving on to other stories was drowned out by the heartbeat pounding in Roy's ears. His breathing sped up and before he could comprehend what he was doing, he practically shoved Lian into Connor's arms. Distantly, he could hear the teen asking him something, but it all sounded like gibberish. Roy didn't say anything as he ran to his bedroom. He dove across the bed to reach his phone. Tremors shook his hands as he pulled up his brother's name and hit call. While it rang, Roy started pacing. "Come on, Dick, pick up…" he muttered. "Pick up…" It went to voicemail. Trying to ignore the rising panic inside of him, Roy tried again. His pacing picked up as his muscles practically jumped under his skin.

"Hey, Roy," Dick answered cheerily.

"Dick! Are you ok?!"

"What do you mean? Of course, I'm ok."

"What do I- Dick I saw the explosion on the news! The mountain…"

"Oh, that. Right." There was a definite tone shift in Dick's voice, but Roy's brain was still too scrambled to make proper sense of it. "Everyone's fine. I'm fine, Tim's fine, Barbara's fine, the Team's fine. Everything is ok."

"You're sure?"

"Of course I'm sure. Roy, believe me, if someone you knew had been hurt, then I would've told you. Promise."

"…Ok." Roy took a deep breath. 'It's fine. Everything's fine. There's nothing to worry about.' Some of his panic subsided. "How was the Mountain blown up anyway? Were you guys attacked?"

"….Kind of…"

"What'd you mean, 'kind of'?" There was silence from the other end of the line. "Dick, what aren't you telling me?"

Dick sighed. "Roy… We were attacked by Manta Troopers."

The response made Roy stop dead in his tracks. Something cold gripped his heart sending dread coursing through his veins. "Manta- But, then… Kal- Kaldur… He was…?"

"Yeah…"

Roy's legs gave out and he clenched his teeth. "Dick… Why…?"

"I- I don't know." The regret was evident in Dick's voice, but it was mixed with something else. "I have to go. I'll…call you soon, ok?"

"Uh-huh." As soon as Dick hung up, Roy dropped his phone and put his face in his hands. His mind kept going around and around, trying to make sense of everything. 'Kaldur blew up Mt. Justice. He tried to kill the Team again.' Something deep in his heart ached. Roy forced himself to sit up, only to catch sight of something that brought tears to his eyes. A white and dark red shell, as big as his hand, was sitting on a shelf. It had been a present from Kaldur on their 1st anniversary. 'What happened to him?' Roy wondered, eyes watering even more. 'What happened?' Roy spent a long time kneeling in his bedroom, silently crying.

After a while, there was a hesitant knocking on Roy's bedroom door. "Uh…Roy?" Connor asked slowly. "Is everything ok?" When he didn't get a response, the door slowly opened. Connor tip-toed inside while Mia hanging around the doorway, Lian in her arms. "Roy, what's wrong? Did something happen?" He got a head shake in response. "Did someone get hurt?" Another head shake. "Ok, good. Uh… What is it then, because we're kind of worried here."

Roy took a deep breath and wiped his eyes. "Kaldur blew up Mount Justice…"

"Oh…"

"I- I just… I don't understand! Kaldur, he was the kindest, gentlest, most compassionate person I'd ever met! He was considerate and responsible…what happened? How did he go from that to someone who kills his friends and blows up mountains?!"

"I- I don't know." Connor glanced back at Mia, silently begging her to help because he didn't know what to do.

Mia simply waltzed in and gently placed Lian in Roy's arm. "There, no one can be sad while holding a baby so cute," she said as she sat on the ground. After a moment Connor joined her.

Roy chuckled a little bit. "Hi, baby…" he whispered, wrapping his arms around his daughter.

It was silent for a few seconds before Mia spoke again. "So, your- Kaldur snapped, huh?"

"…Guess so. It's so… I don't know, I feel like I'm missing something. He's so different than the person I knew."

"Well, we don't know what's been happening while he's been with his father, right? Maybe he decided he liked being a bad guy more than being a hero."

"I wish he hadn't. I would've helped him. I feel like I failed him. Like I should've done something to stop this from happening…"

"He made his own decisions, Roy. There probably wasn't anything you could've said or done to change his mind. Kaldur's the one who decided to be a bad guy. That's not on you."

'I'm not responsible for the bad decisions of others,' Roy thought, the old mantra from his early days of therapy coming back to him through the haze. It brought a small smile to his face.

"What?"

"Nothing, it's just- You reminded me of something."

"Of what?" Connor asked.

"That I'm only responsible for myself. I can't control the way other people treat me, or the decisions they make. None of it is my fault." Roy gently stroked Lian's head.

"Do you feel better?"

"I do. Thanks, guys."

"Just glad we could help. Right, Mia?"

"Absolutely," Mia agreed.

Roy sighed. "You know," he began slowly. "I hate to say it, but I don't think I can let you back out on patrol."

"Why not?!"

"Because it's not safe. Kaldur is out there and he clearly has no problem coming after his old friends and teammates. I- I don't want to risk you guys getting hurt."

"What about you?" Connor asked.

"That's different, I'm an adult."

"But you need someone to watch your back. Wouldn't that be safer?"

"I still can't take both of you on patrol with me. It's not like we can leave Lian home alone."

"So only take one of us," Mia told him. When Roy opened his mouth, she kept going. "We can like…take turns. One of us goes out and one of us stays home with Lian. Everyone wins."

"We love being vigilantes," Connor added before Roy could argue. "It's…better than anything we've ever done. Please don't take it away from us, Roy."

Roy sighed. "You guys could still get hurt-" he started but was cut off.

"We'll practice and get better. And we'll listen to everything you say so we're not taking any unnecessary risks. Please, Roy?"

Roy stopped himself from saying no again. 'I don't want something to happen to them,' he thought. 'I love these kids and I'd die before I let something happen to them. But… Why should they have to miss out because of someone else? I haven't heard or seen from Kaldur in over a year now. I also don't have any actual proof he'll come after the kids.' Plus, if he only took one of them patrolling at a time and didn't let them wander too far, he could keep an eye on them. Roy started rubbing Lian's head absentmindedly. "Ok."

"Ok?" Mia asked barely restrained excitement in her voice.

"Yes, ok. I'll take one of you on patrol at night. We can switch off every other week. But, this means you guys will need a lot more combat training and when we're on patrol, you can't go off alone, understand-"

"Understood!"

"Connor?"

"Absolutely," Connor agreed just as quickly.

"Ok." Which meant Roy would have to find the time to teach them more combat skills. "Why don't you guys go downstairs and brush up on your shooting skills? I'll be down in a minute." Connor and Mia ran out of the bedroom without another word. Roy sighed a little as he stood. "It doesn't make me a terrible parent if I bring you down to my secret vigilante headquarters, does it?" Lian grabbed his nose and giggled. "Ok, but don't tell anyone. Got it?" She blew a spit bubble at him. "Gross. Let's go, cutie." He tickled her stomach as he carried her out of the bedroom.

— —

The following Monday after school, Connor was practically skipping to get home. "Why are you being so slow today?" he asked Mia as she hurried to keep up with him.

"I'm not being slow," she replied. "You're just excited because you're not on babysitting duty this week."

"Well… Yeah." As exciting as it sounded to stay home with Lian all night, Connor was more excited to go on patrol that night. 'I'm so glad we convinced Roy not to bench us permanently.' He needed all the practice of being a hero he could get.

"This kind of sucks, you know?"

"What does? Not being able to…go out together?"

"No. With you-know-who attacking the Team, Roy will never let us join."

"Oh, right. Well, maybe they'll catch him or things will quiet down."

Mia rolled her eyes. "Doubt-" She reached out and snagged the sleeve of Connor's sweater.

"What?"

"I have that feeling…" Her voice dropped down to a whisper.

"That we're being followed?"

"Mhm."

"Can I put my arm around you?" When Mia nodded, Connor did so, then glanced in the front window of a nearby store. In the reflection, he saw the corner of a jacket whip behind a building. "Think we should call Roy?"

"No! He'll never let us patrol if he finds out someone's following us." Mia pushed Connor away. "Maybe it's just a coincidence."

"Mia, you said you've had this feeling before-"

"And nothing happened! We haven't been kidnaped, have we?"

'Not yet.' Connor rolled his eyes. "I still think we should tell Roy."

"Its fine, Connor. Let's just…keep an eye on the situation."

"Keep an eye on it?"

"Roy will never believe we can defend ourselves against…a potential enemy, if we don't start trying to handle things ourselves. Plus, didn't we decide to make things easier for Roy? Do you really think telling him we might have a stalker will be helpful?"

"…You have a point, I guess."

"Good."

Connor glanced back but didn't see anyone following them anymore. 'Ok. Can't imagine how this might go wrong.'

— —

When they got home, Connor and Mia did their homework, then got started on their other chores for the night. Roy came home with Lian from daycare, then laid down to take a "short" nap. While he was asleep, Connor started dinner and Mia kept Lian occupied. By the time Roy woke up, dinner was almost ready.

"Lian has been changed and is enjoying her bottle," Mia said sitting next to Lian's high-chair so she could help the infant hold her bottle.

"You didn't have to make dinner again, Connor," Roy told him, hovering near the teen's shoulder.

"I like cooking," Connor argued. "Besides, you needed to nap before patrol. I know it's hard for you to sleep at night when you keep having to get up with Lian."

"Thanks, kid." Roy helped by getting the plates, then served everyone. "How was your guys' day?"

"I gave a killer report on World War 1 and totally outran everyone else in Gym Class," Mia answered proudly.

"Connor?"

"I drew a shark in art class," Connor replied.

"What kind of shark?"

"A hammerhead."

"Cool."

"What did you do?"

"I found evidence that three different couples were cheating on each other."

"That's…sad."

"That's life sometimes." Roy reached out to wipe Lian's chin. "Make sure your homework is done before patrol, Connor-"

"It's already done." Connor grabbed some dishes and brought them to the sink. "I'm going to go downstairs to get the quivers ready."

"I'll be down in a bit." When he finished his dinner, Roy pulled Lian out of her high-chair. "Let's get you cleaned up before Daddy leaves." He balanced her in one arm and put dishes in the sink with the other hand. "Mia, will you be ok with her tonight?"

"Of course!" Mia replied, almost indignantly. "We'll be fine."

"Ok." Not wanting to leave Connor waiting for too long, Roy quickly wiped Lian down, then deposited her in her playpen in the living room. "If there's an emergency, you can come down to the Cave to contact me over the comms. Keep the door locked, don't answer it for strangers-"

"And don't go off with anyone in a windowless van even if they offer us candy. I know."

Roy tried not to smirk but mostly failed. "Just stay inside and stay safe. Got it?"

"Uh-huh… Keep Connor in line out there."

"Bye, Mia."

Mia laughed as he left, then laid down next to Lian's playpen. "Your dad is such a worrywart."

When Roy got downstairs, Connor was already in his suit. A small smile spread across the man's face. "Excited?" he asked.

"Very," Connor replied, still putting arrows in his and Roy's quivers. The fact that he could still go out to be a hero, the path that would keep him away from his father, energized him. Especially since there'd been a few days where he wasn't sure if he'd be able to go out again. 'Even if it's only every other week. I'll take that over nothing.' He finished filling the quivers and practically jumped to his feet. While Roy changed, Connor put his quiver on and double-checked the arrows. An alert popped up on one of the monitors, so he drifted closer to look. He clicked on it. "Uh-oh…"

"What uh-oh?"

"Uh… It looks like there was another black arrow murder."

Roy cured under his breath as he put his mask on. "We need to go talk to Detective Rodgerson. Let's go."

— —

Red Arrow hesitated outside the police station. His eyes scanned the outside of the building. The light was on in Rodgerson's office. "GA, stay here," he said. "Stay on your toes."

"Ok," Green Arrow replied. He stepped back into the shadows as his mentor shot a grapple arrow up the building. A shiver ran down his spine and he looked up. "Huh?" He shifted on his feet to look. The buildings around him were completely dark. There were no signs of life or movement, but Green Arrow still couldn't shake the feeling like he was being watched.

Meanwhile, Red Arrow carefully climbed inside Detective Rodgerson's office. As soon as his feet settle don the carpet though, he heard the unmistakable sound of a gun being cocked. His muscles involuntarily tensed and he slowly looked up.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Detective Rodgerson asked, his gun trained right on the vigilante's chest.

"I came to talk."

"You have a lot of nerve just coming in here."

"What do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Archer. You really expect me to believe you have nothing to do with the murders?"

Red Arrow sighed. "Look, I know this seems bad-"

"For you-"

"But I swear, I had nothing to do with those murders."

Rodgerson scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right-"

"It's true! Have I ever done anything to make you think I'd kill someone? I'm on your side!"

"That's what the last guy said."

Red Arrow flinched under his mask. "I know Green Arrow hurt this city-"

"You don't know anything! You don't know how scared people were of that maniac! How many wives and children I had to console because someone ended up with an arrow through the heart for a god damned mistake!"

'The orphans and widows they leave behind,' a voice whispered in the back of Red Arrow's head.

"We're not letting a vigilante run this city! We made that mistake once, we won't do it again!"

Red Arrow sighed. "I know how hard it was with Green Arrow around because I was there." He took a deep breath. "I know it because I was Speedy." The detective seemed to tense even more. "I didn't know what Green Arrow was really like when I started working with him. By the time I found out though…" He swallowed but kept going. "You think it was hard dealing with him on the streets, try living with him. Because let me tell you, when he on the streets of Star killing people, that was when he was at his most agreeable. I hated every time I had to watch someone die, but I couldn't do anything about it. I never agreed with how Green Arrow handled things, which is why I've never killed anyone."

"…Why did you come back? If you hated Green Arrow so much, why would you come back here after you disappeared?"

"Because I wanted to help. I wanted to help the city heal. To be the vigilante Star has always deserved." Red Arrow slowly inched forward. When he didn't get shot, he shuffled another inch. "I swear, I'm on your side. I just want to help."

Detective Rodgerson stared at him for several seconds. Eventually, he slowly lowered his gun. "So why are you here?"

"Because while it's not me, there is someone killing people with black arrows. I want to figure out who it is and stop them."

"We think it's a serial killer, but we can't find any connections between the victims."

"A serial killer would make sense. But if it is then-"

"They won't stop until we stop them, I know." Rodgerson sighed as he wandered closer to the vigilante. He crossed his arms and studied the younger man carefully for a full minute. "I don't know if I can trust you. I may never trust you. It's hard to trust a vigilante around here after one puts an arrow through your arm. I know you're good though. And you haven't let me down yet with a case. So I'll give you the benefit of a doubt."

"Does that mean I can help you with the case?"

"Yes, but discreetly. Just because I won't shoot you, doesn't mean someone else around here won't."

'Oh, I know.' Red Arrow nodded. "What can you tell me?"

"Not much. Like I said before, there are no connections between the victims that we can determine. However, we did get a sketch of the supposed killer from a witness." Rodgerson opened a file on his desk and handed the sketch to Red Arrow. It was of a man in a hood, most of his face, save for his chin and most of his nose was hidden by the garment.

"Not much of an identifying sketch."

"We'll take what we can get. Other than that, we don't have anything."

'A guy in a hood. Well, better than nothing I guess.' Red Arrow held up the paper. "Can I keep this?"

"Go for it."

The archer folded up the paper and stowed in one of his pouches. "I'll let you know as soon as I have something."

"You'd better."

Red Arrow climbed out the window and back down the building. When he got back to Green Arrow, the younger vigilante gave him an expectant look. "We have a sketch. Not a good one, but we have one." And he had no clue if it would actually help. "Come on, let's go."

"Where are we going?"

"To visit the latest crime scene. I want to canvas it myself." Red Arrow mulled over the situation in his head as they drove. 'I have to catch this guy. Not just to protect the people, but to clear my name. To prove to the police once and for all that I'm on their side. That I won't be the kind of vigilante Green Arrow was. I refuse.'


	44. The Brutality of Experience

A/N: Several notes here: 1. WARNINGS for mentions of human trafficking and, mentioned/implied statutory sexual assault. 2. If you read Endings are the Saddest Part, then you'll already know what's coming. Because I'm moving in a couple of days, I, unfortunately, have to put this story on hiatus until I have reliable internet access again. Hopefully, it won't be too long. Until then, read on and enjoy!

"You're late," Mia told Connor as he joined her at the school gate.

"Sorry," he replied, stopping just for a moment to shove a binder into his backpack. "I had to stay after and talk to my art teacher."

"About what?"

"He thought my forest wasn't using enough shades of green."

"How many did you use?"

"One." Connor shrugged as stood, then put his bag on his back. "I thought it looked fine, but he wants me to re-paint it on Monday during our free draw time."

"God, I'm glad I decided to take music instead of art."

"It's not so bad…"

"Because you can gawk at the uber-talented boy who sits next to you?"

Heat rose in Connor's cheeks and he gave Mia a gentle shove as they started walking home. "That's not the only reason!"

"Uh-huh…" Mia laughed as Connor shoved her again.

"Have you decided what you want to do for your birthday yet?"

"Are you changing the subject?"

"I asked first."

Mia rolled her eyes. "No. I'd be happy with just staying home and having cake like we did last year. I know next week is your week, but-"

"I'm more than happy to stay home with Lian if you want to go out on your birthday."

"You can make it my present if you want."

"I already have your present though."

"What is it?"

"I can't tell you. But I will say I've been working on it for a couple months."

Mia smiled. She wasn't sure if giving homemade gifts was a Buddhist thing for Connor, but the thought and care that went into them always made her chest warm. "Can I at least guess-" A man walking in the opposite direction grabbed her wrist, jerking her away from Connor. "Hey, what the-" The words died on her lips when she realized who it was. "Richard…"

"Miss me, Mama Mia?" Richard asked her with a smile.

Swallowing the sudden bout of fear in her throat, Mia grit her teeth. "Richard, let go of me."

"I just want to talk."

"I don't have anything to say to you."

Richard's smile morphed into a half-frown. "Don't say things you'll regret, little girl. You know how long it took me to find you? You're lucky those big blues of yours are such moneymakers or I wouldn't have thought it worth the trouble."

"You looked for me?"

"Of course I did, baby. I told you I'd always look out for you, didn't I?"

Mia shook her head. "I have new people looking out for me now, Richard. Better people."

"What, like that foster dad? Like he cares about a whore like you. I'm the only man who will take care of you."

"No you aren't, and I don't want anything to do with that life anymore. Now, let go!" Mia jerked her arm, but his grip didn't even loosen.

"Watch your mouth, girl."

"Let her go," Connor said, his voice even, putting his hand on Richard's arm; almost in a warning.

"Get the fuck away." Almost effortlessly, Richard shoved Connor in the chest with his free hand. The teen fell to the ground and turned back to Mia.

"Let go of me, Richard," Mia said, her voice hard. Her brain tried to remember how to break his grip. She knew how, but it wasn't coming to her. With her heart beating so fast, the only thing she could focus on was Richard. "I'm done with you."

"You don't decide when we're done, Mia." Richard leaned in so his face was less than an inch from hers. "After all, I did for you, you don't get to tell me no."

"Hey!" Connor yelled. "She said let go!" He grabbed Richard's free wrist and twisted his arm behind his back. The man released Mia in shock, but before he could react, Connor readjusted his grip and tossed him over his shoulder. "Come on, Mia." When she didn't move, he reached for her hand. As soon as his fingertips touched her though. Mia jerked her hand back and gave him a glare. "Ok, ok. Sorry, I won't touch you, but we need to go." He glanced down at Richard, who was still moaning on the ground in pain. "Come on."

Mia walked around Richard, then hurried after Connor as they headed home. Her heart rate slowed down a bit as they got farther down the street and she started to feel better after they turned a corner. She stopped and glanced back.

"Mia? What's wrong?"

"…Nothing." Mia shook her head. "Nothing, I'm fine. Let's go." She glanced down at her arm as she followed Connor home. There were some red marks on her forearm, but they didn't even hurt. 'Bet Connor putting Richard on his ass hurt more.' A small smile crossed her lips as she looked up at Connor's back. 'That was pretty sweet.' They didn't run into any other trouble and were able to get home. Roy was with Lian in the kitchen when they walked.

"You're home early."

"Finished up early today," Roy replied evenly, pulling a spoon away from Lian before she could throw it at the teens. "How was your guys' day?"

"Fine," Mia answered nonchalantly as she dropped her bag then headed for the fridge. "Connor beat up my ex-pimp."

"…What?!" Roy looked Connor, who just shrugged.

"We ran into Richard on the way home."

"Are you ok?"

"I'm fine. He left some red marks on my arm, but didn't really hurt me."

Red practically tinged Roy's vision as anger surged through him. "Red marks?! What red marks?!" Without waiting for Mia to respond, he crossed the distance between them in two steps. She held out her arm to him silently. Roy's mouth set into a thin line at the red lines on her forearm. "You two keep an eye on Lian."

"Ok."

Connor frowned as Mia sat down next to Lian's high-chair to wave a rattle in front of her face. He glanced back at Roy, but the man was already heading for the door. "Uh…Mia?"

"Hm?"

"Are you ok?"

"I just told Roy I'm fine, Connor."

"Physically, yeah, I know. But I mean emotionally…psychologically… I mean, the guy who tr- hurt you just accosted us on the street-"

"I'm perfectly fine. You were there to protect me. It's fine."

Connor didn't believe her, but he didn't think arguing with her would help either. So he joined the girls at the table to do his homework. Every so often he glanced over at Mia, but she seemed normal. She finished playing with Lian, then started her own homework. 'There's no way she's just fine,' he thought. When he finished his homework, Connor started cooking dinner. "How long do you cook chicken for?"

"How am I supposed to know?" Mia answered, not looking up from her math homework. "Aren't you supposed to be the resident chef?"

"I'm a vegetarian, how am I supposed to know how to cook meat?"

"Just cook it until it's not raw anymore. It's not rocket science."

Connor rolled his eyes, then went back to the chicken. 'Tofu might have an acquired taste, but at least it's easier to cook.'

By the time Roy came back to the apartment, dinner was on the table and Mia was feeding Lian her bottle. "Have fun?" Mia asked Roy as he sat at the table.

"Fun isn't the word I would use," he replied. For a few seconds, he didn't say anything. He just ate his chicken staring at the table. After almost 30 seconds, he sighed quietly. "I tracked down Richard."

"You did?" Mia asked, stopping with her fork in the air. "Why?"

"Why- Because he attacked you, Mia. Because he hurt you and I'm not going to just let him get away with it." Given the list of things he'd done to her, this was a long overdue. "I'm going after him tomorrow night to bring him in to the police." The next day was Saturday, so he wouldn't need to worry about Mia and Connor going to school and potentially being attacked again.

"You are?"

"Yes. And given your history with him…do you want to come with me?" Throughout their conversation, Mia's face had remained unbothered, but now hesitation flickered across it. "I understand if doing this scares you. If you don't want to do it, then I won't judge you."

Mia looked at her plate. She pushed the chicken and green beans around a little bit with her fork. "I- I want to go." The words tumbled out of her mouth before she could stop them.

"You do?"

"Mhm." She nodded tightly.

"Are you sure-"

"Yes! Yes, Roy, I'm sure." She kept looking at her plate. 'Please stop asking me. Don't give me a chance to back out. I don't want one.' This was the chance she needed. 'I can show Roy and Connor and my therapists and everyone that I'm fine. That I'm not some traumatized…child they need to coddle and protect. No one's ever coddled me and no one needs to.' Even if therapy had helped her feel less anxious and it gave her a…calming feeling to know other people knew how she felt. 'I'll prove that I'm fine once and for all. They'll see.'

— —

Whether he wanted to further prepare for the following night or was just paranoid after what had happened that afternoon, Roy didn't let Mia patrol with him that night; even though it was her week. He didn't go himself either, though he did spend a few hours downstairs in the Arrow Cave. Mia spent the night playing with Lian in the living room, then went to bed. Other than running into Richard, the day had been largely uneventful and her night had definitely been uneventful, so when she went to bed, everything felt pretty normal. Which is probably why she had a nightmare.

Mia woke to gasp, hands raised in a defensive position to fight off no one. She looked around her room, but she was alone. No shadowy figures were coming for her in the dark. Even so, almost without thinking, she grabbed her blankets and left her room. Silently, she padded across the hall and into Connor's room. He didn't even wake up as she laid down on his floor. For a few minutes, she just listening to the sound of his breasting. A sense of calm settled over her and she eventually closed her eyes. Even as she did though, anxiety buzzed under her skin. Thoughts about what would happen the following night bounced around her head like ping-pong balls until she finally fell back to sleep.

— —

The following night, Speedy rode on the back of Red Arrow's bike when they left for patrol. She wasn't sure if it counted as a proper patrol since they weren't going around the city stopping crime as they normally would. Instead, they were on a mission, heading straight for where Richard was living. 'He's not living in the same place he was living in before,' she thought, hugging Red Arrow's torso. Granted, they'd technically been between apartments when she'd last seen him, but the apartment before then wasn't the same one. It wasn't even in the same part of the city. It was on the east side of Star, in a neighborhood, they frequently patrolled due to its high crime rate. 'I was so close to him the entire time,' she thought as the bike came to a stop. 'I didn't even know it.' Not that it mattered of course. 'I don't want to go back and at this point, I've spent as much time with Roy as I spent with Richard.' The realization settled in her stomach like a brick, but she tried to ignore it.

"We're here," Red Arrow said as the bike stopped. They were in a dark alley off of a busy street. "See that building across the street?"

Speedy looked to where her mentor was pointing. "Yes."

"His apartment is the one on the corner in the back, right-hand side. We'll cross the street on the zip-lines, then each goes in through a window. Restrain any people you find, but we're mainly here for Richard. Understand?"

"Yes."

"Are you ready?" There was an undertone of concern to Red Arrow's voice like he wasn't certain Speedy should've come.

So she took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. "I'm ready. Let's go." She followed Red Arrow off the bike, then onto the rooftop of a nearby building. Something (dread or excitement, she didn't know) seeped coldly through her veins. It made her shiver, despite it being a warm spring night. 'Don't be afraid,' she told herself mentally as Red Arrow shot a grapple arrow across the street. He zipped down and she stepped up to the edge of the building. 'Don't be afraid. You're a superhero now. You're trained and Roy is here. There's no reason to be afraid.' Speedy swallowed, then jumped. There was an exhilarating moment of free fall before the side of her bow hit the metal line and she slid across. It didn't make a sound. No one on the street below even looked up. Within 15 seconds. she was close enough that Speedy pulled down on her bow, then used the tension to fling herself up into the air and flipped onto the roof of the next building. As was their policy, she reached down to hit the button that retracted the line and put the arrow back in her quiver. She joined Red Arrow at the edge of the building, which was only two feet from their target building.

"I'll go in from the back. You go in from that one there." Red Arrow pointed to the window he meant. "I'll let you know when to go in over the comms. Ok?"

"Got it." Speedy crouched down as Red Arrow left. She took a moment to use her night vision binoculars (technically the pair she shared with Green Arrow) to survey her surroundings. As her eyes swept over the area, she found that she could see into the room facing her. The light was on, so she quickly switched off the night vision mode. Something clamped down on her lungs when she spotted Richard inside the room. Then she saw that he wasn't alone. A frown crept across her face as she watched him cup the side of the girl's face. It was the side opposite Speedy, so she could get a good look. The girl was blonde (the guy really had a type) and she was..young. Very young. Honestly, looking at her, Mia was reminded of the girls in the 5th and 6th grade at her school. Who spent their recess playing hopscotch and writing the names of boy band members on their binders. The girls who were so young they thought they had a shot with the celebrities taped to the inside of their lockers. Their giggly and happy voices— normally kind of annoying— echoed in her head as she watched Richard kiss the young, blonde girl. The cold feeling disappeared as anger and sorrow burned through her instead.

"Go."

Speedy moved so fast she barely had time to register it. As if moving of their own accord, her hands loaded a boxing glove arrow to her bow. As soon as she shot it, she leaped from the rooftop. The arrow punched through the window, then Speedy followed right behind it. She landed in a crouch, deaf to the high-pitched scream that accompanied her entrance. Without hesitation, Speedy shot an arrow at the two occupants in the room. As predicted, Richard shoved the girl away from him. The arrow hit the door of the room with a thud! Speedy ignored the girl— who she could now confirm had to be the same age as her when she'd met Richard— and attacked the man. He was obviously taken by surprise because he didn't even raise his fists as she pushed him in the face. Before he could react though, she swung her bow and heard a satisfying crunch! Blood gushed from his nose and Richard's hands flew to his face. Speedy took the opportunity to punch him in the teeth.

"Oh my god!" the girl yelled, but the vigilante ignored her.

Richard stepped back to get away from Speedy, but she used the distance to kick him in the stomach. It was sold and shoved him hard against the wall. He let out a moan as he slid down and landed hard on his butt. Blood covered his hands as he reached for Speedy, but she sidestepped from his grasp easily. The momentum caused him to fall. Speedy put her boot on his fingers when he tried to crawl away. He yelled in pain and flopped onto his back, clutching his fingers when she moved. When he opened his eyes again, the vigilante stood over him, an arrow pointed at his face.

In the back of her mind, Speedy knew the fight was over. She had Richard, all she needed to do was restrain him. But she kept thinking about that girl. About all the girls. The other "girlfriends" Richard had kept while they were "together". How young so many of them had been. Tears sprang to her eyes under her mask. Speedy grit her teeth. Then, she fully processed the scene in front of her. Richard was on his back, clutching his injured hand, blood smeared over the lower half of his face. Bruises were slowly forming on his face, including under his eyes; which were wide with terror. The sight of his scared, bruised eyes broke through the haze of Speedy's anger. She suddenly remembered another time, when she was 12, and she'd only been with Richard for a few months. Being brand new to the prostitution thing, she hadn't known how to react when a client got rough with her. It had freaked her out and she'd run out of the motel room. Furious that she'd left a client without getting paid, Richard had punched her, giving her a bruise, like the one he sported now.

Slowly, Speedy eased the bowstring back into a resting position. She swallowed. All of the times she'd been scared of Richard, every time he'd intimidated her with his size or strength, bombarded her mind. They didn't have the same amount of weight though. It didn't bring instant anxiety to her heart. Standing over Richard, with him cowering under her masked gaze, Speedy wasn't afraid. Because she was a vigilante. She was trained and powerful now. Not the small, starving girl she'd been when she and Richard first met. When he'd manipulated her and used her homelessness against her. Standing over him like this, the glamour of strength Richard had always projected was gone. Speedy could see him for what he truly was; a coward. A coward and a pervert. A horrible human being who took advantage of young girls that didn't know any better and used them for his own gain. She put the arrow back in her quiver, then reached down to grab his wrist. He didn't say anything but did grunt in pain as she turned him over and secured his hands behind his back with zip-ties.

"Speedy?" Red Arrow asked.

"In here," Speedy called back. She looked down at Richard, daring him to move. He wasn't looking at her, but he stayed still all the same; as if he could sense the intense look she was giving him.

Red Arrow walked into the room— the girl had run out at some point— and looked around. "You got our guy?"

"I did."

"Looks like he put up a fight."

Speedy shrugged. "Guess so."

If he was suspicious of her answer, Red Arrow didn't show it. "I've found enough evidence for the police to collect him and called them."

"What about the girl?"

"I got her calmed down. They'll probably turn her over to social services."

Speedy nodded stiffly. "Guess we're done then?"

"We are. Let's go." For a moment, Speedy hesitated. Then she turned and followed her mentor back through the window. She didn't look back as she followed him back to the rooftop of the adjacent building. It was silent between the two of them as they walked away and zipped back across the street. Once they were back on the original rooftop, Red Arrow turned to the younger archer. "Are you ok?"

"…'m fine."

There was a coarseness to her voice that made her words not quite believable. "Do you want to keep patrolling?" She didn't respond. "We can just go home if you want. I wouldn't mind keeping an eye on the police radio's to make sure the arrest gets smoothly."

"…Sure."

"Ok." Red Arrow's heart pounded in his chest as they lowered themselves back into the alley. 'I wish it wasn't so hard to read Mia,' he thought as he got on his bike. Speedy got on behind him after a second. 'I know she's normally closed off emotionally, but I should really get her to talk about this. I know it was an emotionally loaded night. And I want to be here to support Mia. So she knows that she's not alone.'

— —

Red Arrow spent the entire ride home thinking over what he would say to Speedy to get her to talk about how she was feeling about the night. It didn't help that she'd been mostly silent the whole night, which didn't change on their ride back. By the time he pulled into the Arrow Cave, he wasn't really sure what he would say. Red Arrow waited until Speedy got off the bike before he got off as well and approached her. "Mia?" he asked gently, pulling his mask off. Her back was to him and it seemed like she had taken her was off as well. It hung from her hand as she crossed her arms. She stood in place, staring at something on the other side of the room. "Mia, are you ok?" When he didn't get a response, Roy gently put a hand on her arm. As soon as his fingertips brushed her though, Mia spun around. He was momentarily taken aback by the tears streaming from her face, but before he could say anything, she threw herself at him.

Quiet sobs escaped Mia as she latched onto Roy. She buried her face in his chest, deeply inhaling the familiar scent of his deodorant. It smelled sweet. Almost like flowers but with a muskiness to it. He always wore the same kind. It smelled like home. It smelled like safety. After a moment, his arms closed around her and Mia felt a tremble run through her; like her legs would give out from under her. "I- I-" She took several gasping breaths. "I just don't get it, Roy."

"Get what?"

"W-Why… Why me? W-Why did he…" She couldn't finish, but thankfully, Roy didn't need her too.

Unfortunately, he didn't have an answer though, so he just pulled her in tighter. "I don't know, Mia. And honestly…I don't want to know. I've been asking myself why men like him— men like Oliver— do the things they do. How they revel in having control over people who are weaker than them. I don't know why, and if I'm honest I never want to. I don't want to understand what drives them to be so awful. Some days it feels like no one answer will ever suffice."

"I-" Mia hiccuped, but kept going, feeling as though if she didn't say it all now, she never would. "I saw him with- with that girl and she- she was so young! Young like- like the girls at my school… Young like- like…" The squeeze from Roy reassured her, so she kept going. "I hurt him… I hurt him like he had always hurt me-"

"No." There was an edge to Roy's voice, but it wasn't unloving. He moved away enough to gently lift Mia's chin. "No, Mia. What you did isn't what he did. He hurt and abused you. You were doing your job. Speedy is a vigilante and her job is to take down criminals."

"But… I attacked him-"

"Your emotions got the best of you in the heat of the moment. It happens. I'll tell you a secret…Batman has done the same thing."

"Really?"

"Mhm. We're human and…it's hard to do what we do. Especially if we're emotionally attached to a case. What you did tonight was nothing short of what he deserved."

"You- You really think so?"

"I do."

Mia sniffed and buried her face in his chest again. She cried silently for a couple of minutes before she spoke again, her voice so soft and fragile Roy was afraid it might break. "He raped me…" she practically whispered. "He abused me… He- He trafficked me."

"I know…" Roy stroked the back of her head softly. A film of tears formed over his eyes. "I'm sorry, Mia. You deserved to be treated better."

"I like living here with you. I like being Speedy and Connor and going to school."

"I'm glad."

"I like how safe it feels here. I've never felt this safe before."

Roy closed his eyes to keep his tears from falling. He had to swallow before he could speak. "It's what you deserve…" his voice was heavy with unshed tears. Roy took several deep breaths and looked at the ceiling, blinking back the tears. Eventually, Mia's crying scowled and she pulled back. He took a moment to quickly wiped his own eyes as she rubbed hers.

"I'm sorry-"

"Don't. I'm serious, don't ever apologize for expressing your feelings. Your feelings bout what happened to you Mia…they're your own. However, you feel about your past and about Richard…no one can tell you how to feel or react. Whatever you feel about it is valid. And I don't want you to think you need to hide it from me, because you don't. Believe me, I know a thing or two about complicated emotions. Understand?"

"I do."

"Good. You can stay down here if you want, or you go upstairs."

"Uh…I think I'll go upstairs." After everything that had happened, including that breakdown, Mia was exhausted. She felt like a pumpkin whose insides had been hallowed out. Going to bed seemed like the best option right now.

"Ok. I'll be up in a little bit."

Mia nodded then went to change. When she came back, Roy was still in his suit— sans mask— and was sitting at the monitors. His chin rested on his hands and he was watching them intently. Not wanting to disturb him, Mia headed for the stairs. She had only gone up the first three when she hesitated. Glancing back, she cleared her throat. "Uh… Roy?"

"Yeah?"

"…Thanks for tonight. You know, letting me come and…listening after." Her face heated a little at the reminder of her emotional outburst a few moments prior, but Roy didn't seem at all fazed. He smiled at her, though it was kind of strained and didn't quite reach his eyes (when had all those lines appeared on his face?).

"Of course, Mia. I'm always here for you."

"Thanks." Mia slowly climbed the stairs to the back room on the first floor, then back up to the apartment. When she walked in, Connor wasn't in the living room. She wandered down the small side-hall where their bedrooms were. The door to Lian's room was closed, so she assumed the infant was asleep. Connor's door was open, she so just walked in. He was meditating in his little alcove, a baby monitor on the floor next to him.

Connor's eyes opened as Mia walked toward him. "How'd it go?" he asked her, eyes immediately scanning her for injury or obvious signs of distress.

"It was…a mission," Mia answered, shrugging as she sat across from him on the carpet. "We went to his apartment and I took him down."

"You took him down?"

"Yeah. I went in through the window for his room."

"Did he put up a fight?"

"Not really. He's actually kind of a wuss."

Connor's mouth quivered into a smile. "Can't say I'm surprised."

"Yeah…" Mia looked at the floor as she continued. "I saw through the window. Before we went in, I watched him through the window and I saw him with this…girl."

"A girl?"

"Yeah. This…young…girl. She- She reminded me of all the girls at our school and how young I was when I met him it just…" She realized her hands were shaking, but a second later one of Connor's settled on one of hers. Slowly, Mia lifted her gaze to meet his. "I got so…mad, Con. I was so upset because I realized-" Her voice cracked and shook. Tears pooled in her eyes again. "I realized that Roy and everyone…they were right about what happened." She closed her eyes and dropped her head. "I was trafficked and raped. And Richard…he doesn't love me. He probably never did. I was nothing but an object to him."

Connor's throat tightened. He squeezed Mia's hand gently. "You know I don't think any less of you because of what happened; and neither does Roy. And…we love you. Me, Roy, Lian- I think Lian adores you actually." That got a small chuckle from Mia. "You're my best friend, Mia. You're smart and kind and resilient and confident. I'm proud to call you my sister." There was a moment of silence, then suddenly Mia almost tackled him to the ground. Her arms wrapped around his neck and after a moment, he returned the hug.

"Thanks, Con… I mean it."

"I know you do. I know."

They hugged for a moment before Mia pulled away, wiping her eyes. "I'm uh…going to bed now. Roy's downstairs in the Quiver."

"Ok. Night, Mia."

"Night, Connor." Mia went straight to her room and got ready for bed. She made sure to turn on the small lamp beside the bed before she shut off the light and got under the covers. Normally, the night was a stressful time for her. Like a switch flipping in her head, it inevitably brought feelings of anxiety and insecurity. Phantom fingers trailing over her body and the inevitability of nightmares normally haunted her before she fell asleep. Tonight though, those feelings were all muted. They were there but buried underneath her pride. She'd taken down Richard. He'd be arrested and with any luck, going to prison for a long time. 'I did it,' Mia thought as she rolled over, pulling the blanket up to her chin. 'I stopped Richard from hurting more girls. From victimizing them like he did to me.' A small smile graced her lips as she closed her eyes. 'I won. Checkmate, universe.'


	45. Important Conversations

A/N: Hey! Looks who's back! Funny enough, even if I hadn't moved and not had internet, but I wouldn't have been able to update because the battery on my laptop failed and needed to be replaced. Anyway, we're back to the normal updating schedule. Enjoy!

As soon as Connor walked into the kitchen, he sighed and dropped his bag on the floor. Without missing a beat, he flopped into a chair, then set his head down on the table and wrapped his arms around it.

Roy looked at Mia, who just smirked in an almost amusing way. "What's wrong with him?" he asked.

"Connor's upset," she supplied.

"Let me rephrase: why is he upset?"

"Because the boy he's been crushing on at school is moving to L.A." When she said that, Connor let out a moan. Mia rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on, Connor. It's not that bad. You've never even talked to him."

"That's the point!" Connor lamented as he pulled his head out of his hands. "Now I'll never get the chance. When am I ever going to see Kyle again?"

"You never know. Life is weird. One day you're just monk or a hooker, next thing you know you're a superhero! The world is crazy like that sometimes."

Roy just shook his head, then looked at Connor. "It's not the end of the world," he told the teen gently. "I promise, there will be other boys— or girls."

"None like him-" Connor froze mid-sentence. He looked at Roy like he'd just realized the man was there. Heat shot to his cheeks. Before anyone could say anything else he ran out of the room.

"What was that?"

"Uh…" Mia stalled, glancing back at the doorway. Distantly, she heard Connor's bedroom door slam shut. She sighed and turned back to Roy. "He didn't want you to know."

"Know what? About his crush?"

"That… The fact that he might be gay…"

"What?!" Roy frowned, even more, concern plaguing him. "Why- Why would he be worried about that? Did I- say or do something-" His mind immediately began going back over recent conversations with Connor, trying to find anything he'd said that could've been construed as even mildly homophobic.

"It's not you, Roy. It's… Connor's having a hard time with…everything, I guess? Being a teenager is a lot especially with all the hero stuff." She bit her lip a little bit as guilt washed over Roy. "Just go talk to him. I know he's super private about this stuff but…he needs it."

"Right…" Slowly, Roy nodded and stood. He left the kitchen, trying to wrap his mind around everything. After the successful takedown of Mia's former trafficker a couple weeks ago and her birthday the week before, Roy had been riding high. Both events seemed to have had a positive impact on Mia, who was now more openly talking both at and about her therapy. With May right around the corner and the end their freshman year less than a month away…it was one of those rare moments Roy had dared to relax, thinking that he'd finally gotten a handle on the parenting thing. 'Except I've apparently been neglecting Connor's…I don't even know what this is…emotional development? Sexual?' He frowned even more. 'I never had…that talk with him. Was I supposed to? No one had it with me until I was almost 18 but…I don't think that's normal. I definitely signed permission slips for them to take sex ed last year. But, I probably should've talked to them one on one.' He reached Connor's room and took a deep breath before knocking.

"Yeah?" Connor answered cautiously.

"Can I come in?"

"I guess…"

Roy walked in slowly. He found Connor where he'd expected to find him, in his meditation alcove. Except the teen wasn't meditating. Connor was sitting cross-legged on the floor, but his eyes were open and his whole body had a certain…rigidness it never possessed when he was meditating. Roy shut the door behind him, then walked closer. "We need to talk." He almost winced as he sat on the floor across from Connor. 'Did that sound as tactless as it felt?'

"About what?"

"Whatever's going on with you." Again, very delicate. Roy sighed. "Look, Connor, I'll be honest with you, if you're honest with me. I'm very out of my depth here. I don't know what I'm doing, but I want to help. So…can you tell me what's wrong?"

'Where do I even begin?' Connor thought miserably, looking at the ground.

When the teen didn't say anything, Roy sighed a little. "Look, if anything I said or did made you think in any way that I wouldn't be supportive of you being gay, then I'm so sorry. I would never-"

"It's not that." Connor still didn't look up as he talked. "Not- Not really. I didn't tell you because I thought you wouldn't be supportive. I didn't tell you because- because…it's complicated."

"What's complicated?"

"I don't know! Everything?!" Connor threw his hands in the air and gave Roy a desperate look. "I've always been the weird kid. The one who doesn't quite fit in. Labels and boxes never seemed to be made for me and growing up…kids made sure I never forgot it. I spent my whole life being made fun of for being different. Because I am different. Very different." Connor looked down at his hands, his green eyes narrowed in sadness. "And then I find out who my father is. This…murdering psychopath who ruined who knows how many lives and even though no one knows about it, it still makes me different." His hands clenched into fists. "And then I started to feel things, things I've never felt before and it's not even for the right gender! Every boy in my grade is falling over themselves, acting like idiots for all the girls and I'm just in the corner…being different." Connor put his head in his hands. "I don't want to be different, Roy. Just once, for once, I wish I could be like everyone else."

For a few seconds, Roy didn't say anything. Then, he slowly reached out and put his hand on Connor's knee. "How long have you felt like this?"

"I don't know…a while, I guess? Since 7th grade maybe… After we took in Mia and I changed schools."

Roy swallowed. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I didn't want to bother you. You've always had so many problems of your own and Mia has problems too… Worse ones."

A new wave of guilt hit Roy, but he pushed it aside. Connor's needs had been neglected for too long. "Connor and I want you to really hear me here, I never want you to hide your problems. Yes, I have personal problems to deal with but if you're waiting until I solve those to come to me…then you're going to be waiting forever. And yes, Mia has problems too, but that doesn't negate your issues. You deserve as much of my attention as her." He sighed a little. "I know my attention has been kind of everywhere lately, but I want to be there for you. I can't help if you don't tell me when you're struggling. You're not just a guest here, you're-" The words froze on Roy's tongue, so he swallowed them and kept going. "I could be more attentive-"

"No, you're great, Roy. Really. You do everything for everyone. You take care of us and Lian… You took care of Jade and protect Star… It's superhuman how you do it all. Plus, I'm fine, really. This is just…teenage stuff. It's not even important."

"Connor, you're a teenager. That automatically makes "teenager stuff" important. I'm not saying every social crisis needs to be a life or death situation, but that doesn't make them meaningless either." It was quiet for a few seconds. "So…you like guys."

"Yeah…" Connor sighed. There almost felt like no sense in denying it now. "Looks like it."

"That's…good."

"It's different."

Roy gave him a small smile. "Not that different. I like guys too, remember. I dated one for over four years. My first ever relationship was with a guy."

"Yeah but you like girls too."

"And you think that's not different? Most people only like the opposite sex, Con. In fact, I wasn't even sure if liking Kaldur was allowed because we were both guys. The idea that I could have a crush was so new to me, but having a crush on my best friend who was also a guy? That was stressful."

"I can see how it would be…"

"Plus, look at it this way. There are four people in this house so between me liking guys and girls and you liking guys, by my math that's 50% of the people here who aren't "normal" in their preferences. So you're pretty normal by our standards."

Connor smiled a little. "I guess if you look at it like that…" He looked at Roy. "So…you never say it, but…does that make you bisexual?"

"To be honest, I've never thought about it. I was really isolated before I ever hit puberty and by the time I got the chance to be around people my own age… I've never really had to think about it like that because I had the luxury of just…being me and people around me just accepted it. But…if it helps you, then yes. I'm bi."

"And I'm- I'm gay."

Roy smiled and put his hand on Connor's shoulder. "And there's nothing wrong with that. By my standards, you're more than normal, Connor. I'm not saying everyone you meet will be as understanding, but just remember that in this house, you are normal. Your life is no stranger than mine, or Mia's, or even Lian's at this point and she hasn't even been alive for a year."

"That's an accomplishment, I guess."

"And Connor? Never feel like there's something wrong with being different. Because you are your own person. I've known a lot of people who don't fit the "normal" brand you know what? Every single one of them is amazing. I know it's hard right now, but promise me you'll never stop being proud of just being Connor because you should be."

"Ok, I- I promise…"

"Thank you." Roy pulled his hand away. "Do you feel better?"

"Yeah, I- I do. Thanks, Roy. You're better at this than you think."

"That's a relief." That was one uncomfortable topic out of the way. "And if you ever have any…questions about…sex, you know you can come talk to me, right?"

"I do. And I will."

"Good." A sense of accomplishment settled in Roy's chest. 'I want to be the best parent possible for them. It's what they deserve.' Especially, after all, they'd gone through. "Is there anything else you need to talk about?"

"No, I think I'm good for now."

"Ok. I'll leave you alone so you can get your homework done. It's still your week for patrol."

"I know."

Roy left, nodding to himself. 'That went well. Much better than previous times I've tried to talk to Connor.' Slow progress was still progress. The old mantra from his early days of therapy popped into his head out of nowhere. 'It's true though.' He walked back into the living room, where Mia and Lian were watching tv.

"How'd it go?" Mia asked, glancing back at him.

"It went well." He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Uh… Before I talked to Connor, I realized that I never talked to you guys about you know…sex and-"

"I'm good, Roy. Honestly, we don't need to have this discussion. I have a very intimate understanding of how sex works and the importance of using protection. We've also had numerous discussions at therapy about consent. I think I'm covered."

"Ok. Good. If you ever have any questions though-"

"You'll be the first person I ask. Promise."

Roy nodded, then picked Lian up from the floor. 'I should put her down for a nap,' he thought, walking back toward her room. 'So she won't be cranky for Mia later.'

— —

The next morning, Connor hesitated at his dresser when he was getting ready for school. Next to a picture of him and Mia, was a rainbow bracelet. She'd given it to him (along with the picture) for his last birthday. He bit his lip. 'What if someone asks me if I'm gay? People could already be thinking it…' But then he remembered his conversation with Roy the previous night. 'Roy's ok with it. And Mia's ok with it.' Connor slowly reached out and tied the bracelet around his right wrist. It was woven with rainbow threads, which was comfortable on his wrist. When he pulled his sweater on, the sleeve fell over a good portion of his wrist, hiding most of the bracelet from sight. 'See?' he thought as he grabbed his bag, then left the room, 'It's not even a big deal. I bet no one will even notice.'

"Morning," Roy said as Connor walked into the kitchen. He set a plate of eggs and fruit in front of the teen.

"Thanks," Connor replied.

"Hey, Roy, can I give Lian a piece of my sausage?" Mia asked.

"No," Roy replied with a little bit of a chuckle. "She doesn't even have teeth."

"Well, she can suck on it to get an idea of the taste."

"In a few months she'll have teeth and you can give her some sausage."

"I'm holding you to that."

Connor smiled at his plate. "What if Lian doesn't want a sausage?" he asked. "What if she wants to be a vegetarian?"

"Nuh-uh! You're not converting her to your meat-less life."

"She might like tofu."

"Why don't we worry about this when Lian actually starts eating solid foods?" Roy suggested. He glanced at the clock. "Keep an eye on the time. You don't want to be late."

"It's only the last week of classes," Mia shrugged as she cut a sausage link with her fork. "We're basically just getting ready for finals at this point."

"We still need to be there," Connor told her. "You want to pass freshman year, right?"

"Actually, my teachers already said I'm not in danger of failing so…"

"You still have to go to school," Roy said.

Mia rolled her eyes. "Fine." She quickly stabbed the sausage pieces in quick succession, then shoved them into her mouth. "Let's go, Connor."

"I just sat down," Connor replied evenly as he stabbed two pieces of fruit with his fork. "I'll be ready, don't worry." After all, Mia was the one who usually had to run around getting ready. 'She should just pack her bag the night before like I do. It saves so much time.' Which is why he could sit and enjoy his breakfast without having to worry. And he did. By the time Connor had finished and put his plate in the sink, Mia was still shoving things into her backpack. "Why are you so unorganized?" he asked, amused.

"I have a system," Mia replied as she grabbed a few papers from her desk to put them in her folder. "Besides, it wouldn't be so bad if teachers didn't assign so much work in the last week of the school year."

"Mhm…" Connor went to brush his teeth and took one last, hesitant look at the rainbow bracelet. He didn't take it off though and went back to the kitchen. By the time he got there, Mia was ready to go.

"Took you long enough. You're going to make us late."

"I'll count us as even after all the times you almost made us late." Connor swung his bag onto his back. "Bye Roy. Bye Lian."

"Bye!"

"Have fun and be careful!" Roy called after them as they left.

It was silent for the first few minutes of their walk. Then Mia took a step closer to Connor and nudged him. "So you're finally wearing the bracelet?" she asked.

Connor glanced down at his wrist, then absentmindedly moved his other hand to cover it. "So?"

"Don't get so defensive. I'm just making observations."

"Well…don't." There was no need to draw attention to it. 'If Mia noticed, other people definitely will… Maybe I should just take it off.' His fingers jumped to the knot that held the bracelet in place, but he didn't untie it. For a few seconds, Connor walked with his fingers on the knot.

Mia glanced at him when he didn't say anything, then frowned when she saw what he was doing. She gently put her hand on his wrist. "Keep it on."

"I don't want people to make fun of me."

"Fuck them."

"You don't understand-"

"I don't understand? Connor, I was a prostitute. Trust me, I know a thing or two about judgment. This might actually be the one thing I can absolutely understand about you."

'The only thing?' Connor looked down at his wrist again. "I'll keep it on for now. But if people start making fun of me, then I'm taking it off."

"Fair enough."

Connor's fingers released the knot, but he still pulled the sleeve of his sweater down over his wrist. 'No one will notice. I'm sure of it. Nobody will notice I'm wearing it.'

— —

The bracelet felt like a heated weighted on Connor's wrist the whole school day. Every move that pulled up the sleeve of his sweater made his heart stop. For a few milliseconds, he was convinced that every single person in the room was staring at him, but then he pulled the sleeve back down. No one seemed to pay him any mind. By the time he made it to lunch, some of his anxiety about the bracelet had subsided. In fact, Connor began to smile a little bit to himself. 'No one's staring,' he thought when the bell rang. 'No one's even noticed!' It felt like he was getting away with something. The feeling almost morphed into full-on excitement by his last class of the day. As soon as he sat in his seat in the art room though, Connor's smile dropped. 'That's' right. Kyle moved away. He's gone…' Connor looked at his table and tried to ignore the disappointment that curled around his heart. Right before the bell rang, someone dropped into the empty seat from the corner of his eye.

"Does anyone sit here?" the boy asked.

"No…" Connor replied quietly. Their teacher set several pages of paper on the table and he grabbed them.

"That's good. Been kind of a crazy day, starting in the last week, you know?"

"Mhm…" Still, without looking, Connor passed a couple sheets of paper to the boy, then put his head down and started drawing. For a few seconds, it was quiet, then the boy spoke again.

"Nice bracelet."

Fear shot through Connor's heart and his head snapped up. After a brief moment of contemplation, he looked at the boy next to him. His breath caught for a moment. Dark brown eyes watched him with amusement. The boy moved his right arm to prop up his head and the movement caused his sleeve to slide down. An identical bracelet to Connor's was tied around his wrist. "Uh…." Connor stammered. "I- I like yours too?"

The boy smiled even more. "I'm Jake Ikari."

"Connor."

"Nice to meet you, Connor."

Connor swallowed. "Why- Why did you start in the last week?"

Jake rolled his eyes. "I was going to start in the fall, but we just moved here from Metropolis, so my parents wanted me to get a jump on making new friends."

"Oh… Well… Nice." Connor went back to his drawing.

"I think we live in the same neighborhood. I saw you walking with…your sister…this morning."

"Uh…yeah, I walk with her."

"Cool. Maybe sometime I could walk with you guys?" His question made Connor's hand freeze. "I don't want to intrude, but it'd be so much better than my mom dropping me off."

"I- I'll ask her but…sure."

"Thanks." Jake smiled even more. "Guess I made a friend already. Maybe I'll see you this summer?"

"I'm not really around in the summer. I like to be at the library during vacation."

"I like books. Maybe you could show me where it is when summer starts?"

"…Sure." Connor's heart pounded in his chest. It wasn't fear though, because excitement bubbled in his stomach at the same time. He smiled at his picture. 'Guess wearing the bracelet wasn't such a bad idea.'

— —

Roy was so busy going over recently closed cases that it took a full 30 seconds before he realized his phone was ringing. Trying not to take his eyes off the file, he reached over to grab it. "Hello, Raymond Wayne, private detective," he said.

"Raymond," Detective Rodgerson said in greeting. "I wanted to ask if you could bring Mia Dearden down to the station this afternoon."

"Why?"

"I'd prefer to explain in person if you don't mind."

Roy frowned. "Is she in trouble?"

"No, no. She's not in trouble."

"Well, …she should be home from school in twenty minutes. We can be down there in about thirty if that works for you."

"See you in half an hour."

'That was weird,' Roy thought as Rodgerson hung up. 'I wonder what he wants to talk to her about?' Whatever it was, he wasn't too worried though. Mia hadn't been in any trouble, so it wasn't like he had to worry about her being arrested. So, he quickly finished up his work afternoon, then locked up and went upstairs. Connor and Mia were in the kitchen when he walked in. "You guys are home early."

"We walked fast," Mia shrugged.

"Well, it's perfect timing. Detective Rodgerson asked me to bring you to the police station, Mia."

"Why?"

"He wants to talk to us about something."

"What about?" Connor asked.

"Didn't want to tell me over the phone. Can you pick Lian up at daycare?"

"Mhm."

"Thanks. Change out of your uniform, Mia, then we'll go."

"Ok," Mia said. She grabbed her backpack and went to her room. 'Why would the detective have a reason to talk to me?' she wondered as she changed into normal clothes. 'It's not like I've done anything illegal.' Accept run around Star as a masked vigilante fighting crime at night. 'But Roy and Connor do that too, so if it had something to do with vigilante stuff, he'd want to talk to Connor too.' Plus, if the police had caught on to their secret identities, she didn't think they'd just invite them down to the police station for a friendly chat. 'I guess we'll find out.'

— —

When they got the police station, an officer led them to Detective Rodgerson's office. "Rodgerson," she said, knocking politely on the open door. "This guy said you're expecting him."

"I am, Officer Smith," Rodgerson replied with a smile. "Thanks."

"You guys have some tight security," Roy noted as the officer left, shutting the door behind her.

"It's nothing. Just a precaution."

'With a serial killer running around, can't say I blame them.'

"Thank you both for coming down. Please have a seat."

Roy and Mia sat in the chairs on the other side of the desk. "What did you want to talk to me about?" Mia asked.

"First, I wanted to inform you that Richard Murphy was arrested last month."

"…Oh. That's…good." A little bit of anxiety shot through Mia and she shifted in her seat. 'Did Richard say I did something? Am I in trouble?'

"Now, with cases like these, physical evidence is sometimes…difficult. We have some financial records and phone records that implicate him in human trafficking, but, the DA wants a stronger case."

"Stronger how?"

"Both of us, the DA and I, wondered if you would be willing to testify against Richard."

"Testify?"

"Yes."

"In- In a court?"

"Yes."

Mia narrowed her eyes. "Why, so they can say I'm a liar?"

"I know how challenging this would be, but we could really use your help."

"But you have physical evidence," Roy argued. "Isn't that enough have him convicted?"

"Probably, but with this kind of case, you never know what could put the jury over the edge. Mia testifying will bring a human element to this. She can humanize this crime to make the jurors truly understand how despicable his actions were."

Mia sat back in her chair. The idea of having to sit in a room full of people and tell them about what was probably two of the worst years of her life, in detail wasn't appealing. 'And a defense attorney tearing my story apart, calling me a liar…' Her hands clenched the arms of the chair and one of Roy's hands settled on one of hers. She looked at him. "Do I have to?"

"No," Roy said before Detective Rodgerson could talk. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to do."

"But…it would be good if I did?"

"It would be helpful for the case, but you do not have to. If you're not comfortable doing it, then no one can make you."

Mia looked at her lap. "Will he go to prison if I don't?"

"I want to think he will, but truthfully you never know."

"What would happen if I say yes?'

"If you say yes, then I'll let the DA know. You'll have to tell him everything that happened. The trial probably won't be for at least a year, so you won't have to worry about that right away. Because you're a minor, they'll assign you an advocate to help you every step of the way. You also won't have to testify in a full courtroom. They'll only let the judge, the jury, the lawyers, the defendant, and an adult of your choice in the courtroom at the time."

"An adult of my choice?"

"Yes. Someone who sits in the gallery to make you feel more comfortable."

Mia was silent for a few seconds. "Am I the only one you're asking?"

"The foster parents of the girl they picked up with him refused and everyone else has also said no."

"So it's all down to me?"

Detective Rodgerson sighed a little. "Unfortunately, it isn't uncommon in these cases for victims to refuse to testify against their traffickers. Most of the time, I can't blame them. The things many of them have gone through would scar any person for life and I don't blame them for wanting to move on with their lives."

"…Can I talk to Ray alone for a second?"

"Of course. I'll give you guys a couple minutes."

Roy waited until Detective Rodgerson left before he turned to her. "Mia-"

"How did you feel when Oliver went to space prison?" Mia asked quietly.

"What?"

"When the Green Lanterns took him away, how did you feel?"

"…Relieved. At peace. It felt like everything had finally ended and I would never have to worry about him again. Like I could finally move past what had happened and have this…future where he wasn't a problem."

Mia was quiet for a few seconds. "I'd like that. Feeling like I can just move on and not have to worry about Richard."

"That could still happen if you don't testify."

"…If you have the chance to testify against Oliver in a court, would you have done it?"

This time Roy was silent for several seconds. "I- I don't know, Mia."

Mia looked at her lap. "If I do this, will you be there with me?"

Roy squeezed her hand gently. "Every single step of the way."

The door opened behind them and Detective Rodgerson walked back in. "Have you made a decision?" he asked as he sat behind his desk again.

"Yes." Mia tried to sit up straighter. "I'll do it. I'll testify against Richard."

Rodgerson gave her a smile. "I'm pleased to hear that. I'll pass your information along to the DA and he'll be in contact with you."

"Ok." Mia nodded, then stood. She stared at the desk as Roy and Detective Rodgerson shook hands and exchanged pleasantries.

"Thank you for coming down, MIa."

Mia looked up, then quickly shook his hand. "You're welcome."

"This is a really brave thing you're doing. I know it can't be easy."

"It's not." But she did hard things all the time. Everything she'd done form the night she'd agreed to after Richard abandoned her in the motel room until this moment hadn't been easy. 'I want what Roy has though. I want to move on. And I want to put Richard away for a long time. If I have anything to say about, that bastard's going to rot in prison for all the people he hurt.' It'd be her honor to make it so.


	46. Another Piece of the Puzzle

A/N: Here's the next chapter! Roy's got quite the mystery on his hands...

The patrol had barely started when Red Arrow and Green Arrow saw two police cars speed past them. "Do you think it's important?" the latter asked, hand already closing around the throttle of his bike.

"I'm assuming so," Red Arrow replied. "Let's go." They peeled out of the alley where they'd been hiding out, taking off after the police. It was an uncommonly busy night for Star— even for a Friday— so they had to weave in and out of traffic. A few car horns and yelled curses prompted Red Arrow to lead his partner down side streets that were less trafficked. The change made it harder for them to tail the police cruisers, but they managed. In the end, they blew past where the police cars were parked, then circled back around the block to park their bikes in an alley a couple of streets down. Red Arrow took his bow off his back as he slipped into the shadows, trusting Green Arrow to follow. There was a crowd of people near the crime scene, so they used the rooftops to get there. When they were on a building above the crime scene, they dropped down at the edge of the roof. Red Arrow took his binoculars out of a leg pouch. "Oh no…"

"He struck again…" Green Arrow was unable to tear his gaze away from the gruesome murder below. A man in the alley was propped against the wall, a black arrow sticking out of his neck. He lowered his binoculars to look at his mentor. "Red?"

"Look at the blood."

'The blood?' Looking back at the body, Green Arrow felt his stomach heave a little. The dead man's shirt was soaked with dark blood. "What about it?"

"It doesn't look dry. And the color…it's fresh."

"You can tell all that just by looking at it?"

"I can." Red Arrow put his binoculars back. "This happened less than an hour ago. Maybe less than half an hour if we're lucky."

"So…the killer might be nearby?"

"Maybe. We should canvas the neighborhood just in case. You go east and turn north; I'll go west and turn south. Eight block radius. Radio over the comms if you see anything suspicious. Anything at all, got it?"

"Got it." Green Arrow turned east and left. Methodically, he worked his way with city blocks in these directions. He zip-lined across wide streets and jumped narrow ones. Despite it being a busy night, no one noticed him. 'Probably,' he thought as his eyes scanned the street on block three, 'because, like Roy always says, people never look up.' Every street he came to, he meticulously searched the crowds, the alleys, the side-streets, on the lookout for anything suspicious. However, nothing stood out. So when he reached the eight-block radius, he turned north to circle back to the building where he'd left his mentor.

Meanwhile, Red Arrow wasn't having much luck either. Like the younger vigilante, he worked his blocks street by street, keenly searching for anything that stood out. Something that pointed to where the killer had gone or might be hiding out. 'I really hate the idea of there being a serial killer on the loose on a night when there are so many civilians out,' he thought as he reached the end of his eight blocks. 'There are so many potential victims.' Everything about this case made him anxious. 'We have to find the killer-'

"Evening, Red Arrow!" a voice called.

Red Arrow stopped dead in his tracks. Across the narrow side-street from the building where he stood, an old man was rocking in a chair on a small balcony. "Evening!" the vigilante called back. He zip-lined to the other building, then nimbly dropped down onto the balcony.

The old man smiled at him. "How's it going tonight?"

"Not good, I'm afraid. There was a murder."

"Shame. You tracking down the killer?"

"I'm doing my best-" He stopped as something occurred to him. "Have you been sitting out here all night?"

"I have."

"Can you tell me if you've seen anything weird or suspicious? Especially in the last hour?"

"Last hour, hmm?" The man rubbed his chin as he continued to slowly rock back and forth. "Not really… It's been a pretty normal night."

"Oh-"

"Three nights ago though, I saw a Shadow Man."

Red Arrow frowned. "A Shadow Man?"

"Mhm. Saw him 'bout…1 hour ago, I guess? He was running across the rooftops."

"The rooftops?!"

"Yeah. I actually thought he was you at first, but then I realized he was wearing all black."

'There was a black arrow murder a few blocks from here three days ago,' Red Arrow thought, his heart pounding in anticipation. "Was he carrying a bow? Or wearing a quiver of arrows?"

"Mmmm…might've been. It was hard to tell being dark and all, but he did have something in his hand."

"Which way did he go?"

The old man pointed west with his cane. "That way."

'It's not much, but it's the best lead I've had in the whole case.' Red Arrow nodded, then looked back at the man. "Thank you. You've been a big help."

"Glad to be of service."

"Stay safe."

"You too."

Red Arrow climbed back up to the rooftop, then stood there for a moment. 'I want to investigate that way, but…I need to rendezvous with GA first.' So he continued south to circle back.

Meanwhile, Green Arrow was still canvasing his streets, working his way north toward the building. Like before, the streets were busy, but he didn't see anything. 'Why would the killer stick around with the police so prevalent right after the murder,' he wondered. 'I mean…wouldn't that just increase the chances of him getting caught?' Somewhere in the back of his mind, he remembered one of the crime books he'd read talked about how serial killers were strange, even by criminal standards. 'This guy seems smart. He's very-' Something moved in the corner of his eye and Green Arrow stopped. His head instinctively snapped toward the motion, just barely catching a shadow that leaped over the side of a building. 'Definitely suspicious.' He ran toward that building, zip-lining to gain ground faster. When he reached that building, he practically threw himself to the roof's edge. The alley below was empty, a feeling in his gut pushed him to investigate.

So he climbed down a nearby fire escape. Green Arrow's boots hit the ground without a sound and he stayed still for a few moments, heart pounding. The only light was from the street behind him. 'Whoever the shadow is, there aren't a lot of places they could be hiding,' he thought, noting how the alley was barely big enough for one person to stand in width-wise, with a fence at the far end reaching up twenty feet. There was a pile of wooden boxes on the left, and a pile of cardboard boxes near the fence on the right side. Green Arrow pulled an arrow from his quiver and nocked it to his now string. 'I didn't hear any surprised shouts, which means whoever this is, they probably didn't leave the alley.' Climbing the fence was possible, but highly unlikely. 'Which means its most likely they're still here.' Moving as silently as possible, he moved toward the fence. There was no one hiding behind the pile of wooden boxes, so he moved toward the cardboard ones. He'd only gotten three steps toward it though when his comm beeped in his ear.

"GA, where are you?" Red Arrow asked. "I have a lead on the killer."

'He has a lead on his side?' Green Arrow frowned, lowering his arrow a little. 'Then…what I saw is probably unrelated.' And as suspicious as that shadow had been— and he was 95% sure that shadow had moved— catching the serial killer was a higher priority. So he relaxed his bowstring and put the arrow back in his quiver. "I"m on my way right now, Red." As quick as he could, he pulled a grapple arrow from his quiver and shot it up. It pulled him back to the rooftop and he hurried through the rest of his search. With a lead from Red Arrow's search, it seemed unlikely he'd find anything important on his end. So it only took him 10 minutes to return to the building where they'd started. "What'd you find?" he asked as soon as he stopped in front of his mentor.

"Someone saw a person dressed in black running on the rooftops heading east a few nights ago," Red Arrow replied.

"A few nights ago?"

"Yes. There was a murder in that neighborhood that night."

"So it's probably the killer."

"Yes."

"But…if that was two nights ago, what do you think we'll find?"

"I don't know, but considering how little we have, I'm not willing to overlook a chance for evidence. Let's go."

"Ok." As he followed his mentor, Green Arrow's mind flashed back to the shadow he'd seen earlier. 'Was that…the killer?' If it was, he'd be long gone now. 'Roy's so desperate to catch this guy…he'd probably bench me if he knew I let him get away.' Except there was also no proof he had crossed paths with the killer. 'Maybe I was just seeing things. It's dark and we're stressed about the situation.' So he followed his mentor silently, keeping his eyes open for any evidence of the killer. They traveled almost 10 blocks before stopping. "What're we looking for?"

"I don't know…" Red Arrow sighed. "Let's split up and do another canvas of the neighborhood. Same directions, 8 blocks. Search for anything at all that could lead back to the killer."

"Got it." So another canvas commenced. This time Green Arrow tried to pay closer attention, taking the time to go down into the alleys and search. While he did come across some homeless people trying to sleep and a few stray cats, there were no signs of the killer. No dropped arrows, no signs of a secret hideout, not even someone willing to talk about potentially seeing the killer. (The two he asked threw bottles at him until he left.) In the end, he had to regroup with Red Arrow empty-handed. When he reached their rendezvous point, he could only shake his head.

"Damn it…"

"What do we do now?"

"Keep patrolling, I guess. There's nothing else we can do for now."

"Ok." Green Arrow followed Red Arrow back to the bikes, then the two vigilantes took off for another part of the city. They partook in their usual patrol, stopping muggers and murders; breaking up fights before they could become too serious, etc. However, the minds of both vigilantes weren't completely focused on their tasks. In what felt like every other second, their thoughts were dragged back to the unsolved murders.

By the time patrol was over and they went home, Red Arrow wasn't even tired. His brain was too muddled and active as he mulled over the murders. With a heavy sigh, he sat down in front of his monitors and slumped. For a few seconds, he sat there, staring at the wall, then sighed again as he took off his mask. Roy rubbed his eyes with his fingers, then sat up. His elbows were propped on the arms of his chair, fingers intertwined in front of his face. In the background, he heard Connor getting undressed, but it barely registered in his brain.

When Connor was in his sweats, he glanced at Roy. The man was stuff, boring a hole in the wall behind his computers with only his eyes. 'I should probably leave him,' the teen thought. "Night, Roy." There was no reply, but he wasn't expecting one anyway. 'These murders are really weighing on him.'

Distantly, Roy heard Connor climbing the stairs but still didn't move. He stayed where he was, staring at the wall for a long time. The events of the night kept replaying in his head. 'Six…' he thought angrily. 'That's nine victims in three months.' Nine people dead because their vigilante, sworn to keep them safe, couldn't protect them. It was the Manta robbers all over again. 'Except this is a serial killer. Targeted victims that won't stop until I do something about it.' Roy sighed again, then sat up. 'I need to solve this case. Figure it out. God, I really wish Bruce was here.' If anyone could help him stop a serial killer, it was Batman. 'But I'm on my own now. Well…not completely. I have Connor and Mia.' He had sidekicks, time to put them to work.

First, he started with the victims. Each of them had a small file inside of the larger case file on his computer. Death certificates, coroner report, and police report. So he started digging. Roy went through his list of victims, person by person, and dug up every piece of information on them he could. What did their parents do for work? What did their siblings do for work? Where ave they lived? Who did they date? Where did they go to school? Were they involved in any social or political campaigns? Had they ever owned any pets? Roy left no virtual stone unturned. Anything and everything he could dig up from police records, city records, state records, federal records, hacked company files, and social media pages were fair game. Slowly, the files filled up. He built-up his knowledge on the victims then printed them out. He sorted the information into files, then set the folders aside.

Next, he learned more about the criminal history of Star. Despite the city's size, it had never had a real serial killer problem. The last time anything like this had happened was a man who'd killed four women in the late 1960s. There had been no other records of serial killers. Still not satisfied though, Roy hacked his way into the police database and searched himself. He looked for multiple killings by a single person, trying to understand if this could be someone that had done this before. 'They're clearly smart enough to avoid police detection,' he thought as he read through case after case. 'No hair, no DNA, not a single mistake. This isn't a first-time killer. Someone skilled is doing this. Very skilled.' Unfortunately this search also turned up nothing. The only other person in Star with even remotely serial killer like tendencies had been Oliver. The sheer number of homicides attributed to Green Arrow made Roy nauseous, so he quickly left the database, then looked at the time.

'It's morning?' he frowned. The clock read 9:00 am. Roy groaned and rubbed his face. 'I didn't mean to stay up all night working on this.' But it had been worth it. He had the information they needed to work the case from a new angle. So, he gathered up the files and went upstairs. When he got the apartment, he found the kids in the kitchen eating breakfast. Connor and Mia both looked up in surprise when he walked in.

"I thought you were in bed," Mia said.

"Were you up all night?" Connor asked, frowning.

"I was," Roy confirmed. "Are you guys almost done?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"I'll explain later. Come into the living room once you've finished eating." Roy left the kitchen and sat on the floor in the living room. He went through the victim files, flipping through them idly for a few minutes. Then he got up to look inside a drawer. It was filled with supplies he kept upstairs for work. He grabbed three highlighters, then sat back down. As soon as he sat, Connor and Mia walked in from the kitchen. The latter set Lian down in her playpen before joining him on the floor.

"What's up?" Mia asked eagerly.

"We need to take a different approach to the black arrow murders," Roy explained. He grabbed three files and handed them to her. "We're clearly dealing with some kind of a serial killer, which means we need to focus more on the victims." He handed three files to Connor. "Last night I found every scrap of information I could about them. We're going to look through carefully and search for patterns. Start with your three. Go through each file twice. I want you to highlight and note any similarities you find. Then we'll compare all nine. There has to be something connecting all these victims together. The killer isn't choosing them randomly. There's a reason they were each killed and we need to figure out why that is. Understand?"

"Got it."

"Connor?"

"Understood," Connor replied.

"Good. Let's get to work."

The room quickly lapsed into silence as the three of them read through the files. It was a lot of information to go through, but none of them complained. They read each piece of information, using their own methods to compare and contrast. Mia had taken up a large amount of floor space with the contents of her files arranged in what seemed like a haphazard manner. Connor took a different approach where he (while also taking up quite a bit of floor space) organized similar information from each file into piles. School records, living records, family records, employment records, etc. Roy simply had all three files open in front of him, reading information one, then jumping to a similar piece of information in another file so he could compare them. They worked meticulously for hours. The only movement was Mia occasionally adjusting how she sat and Lian playing with her toys.

By the time they stopped, it was past lunch, but none of them even noticed. "Find anything?" Roy asked.

"Maybe…" Mia said, looking at a piece of paper. She frowned, then used her free hand to search the mess of papers around her before she found the one she was looking for. "Hmmm… Interesting…"

"What?"

"Two of my victims, Emily Johnson and Kyra Bailey, both filed police reports after they were almost mugged."

"When?"

"Uh…. One from last year, April 26, 2015, and the other is…October 4, 2012."

"That's pretty far apart."

Mia looked up at Roy's tone. "You don't think it's connected?"

"It seems unlikely since the reports were filed so far apart. Did your third victim have an attempted mugging?"

"No."

"I have a carjacking victim," Connor said. "Brian Campbell…" His voice trailed off as he stared at the picture of the young man.

"Connor?" Roy prompted when the teen didn't say anything for several minutes.

"I recognize him…"

"You do?"

"Yeah. I- I remember this case." He looked at Roy. "It was one of my first nights out. You were teaching me how to zip-line and we heard a gun go off. When we investigated, the guy ran off so you followed. Brian was in his car having a panic attack, so I calmed him down."

"Are you certain?"

"Yeah…"

Roy frowned, turning the story over in his head for a few seconds. "Did any of the victims file a police report after being the victim of a crime or a potential crime before January 2011?"

"Uh…no."

"Mia?"

"Give me a sec…" she muttered, quickly shuffling through the papers. After a minute she shook her head. "Nope. The third victim filed a report after almost being raped by a guy on Valentine's Day in 2012." She held up the picture and Roy's breath caught in his throat. "What?"

"I know her."

"You do?"

Roy nodded. "I remember because the guy turned out to be a serial rapist with an outstanding warrant in Coast City. It was all over the news and she was one of two victims willing to testify in court." His heart broke a little, remembering how proud he'd been of the young woman when he saw the testimony on the news.

"So…what does it mean? We have two victims you've had interactions with-"

"Victims…"

"What?" Connor frowned. "What did you say?"

"Victims. That's the key. All of them had been a victim of a crime at some point in the last five years."

"Why only the last five years?"

"…Because that's when I came to Star…" Mechanically, Roy looked through his files until he found a police report had been filed by two of them. The third was listed as a complainant on breaking and enter where the police had received a 'Reputable Anonymous Tip' about the crime. The phrase jumped out at Roy like a punch to the face. 'Reputable Anonymous Tip' was basically police talk for 'vigilante'. "It's me…"

"You're the killer?" Mia asked sarcastically.

"No, I- I saved them. All of them. They were victims of crimes I'd stopped or intervened in. That's the connection."

"Someone's killing people you've saved as Red Arrow?" Connor asked in disbelief. "Why?!"

"I don't know."

"But…you've been doing this for five years! The pool of potential victims is in the hundreds."

"I know…"

"Who would even think 'hey, I'm going after innocent people because the local vigilante saved their asses'?" Mia asked.

"Maybe it's not about them," Connor suggested quietly. "What if the killer is angry at Roy? Killing these people could just be a way to get to him."

"Who would hate him that much?"

"Anyone," Roy said, his eyes still on the floor in front of him. Every muscle in his body was so tense it felt like he'd never be able to move again. "A lot of people think I was Speedy back in the day and…" He swallowed. "Ollie killed a lot of people. We weren't exactly popular in the city."

Connor's blood froze. "So it could be the family member or loved one who was killed by Oliver?"

"It could be." Which was still a potential pool of hundreds. He closed his eyes. "I think I'm going to be sick…" It was silent for several minutes.

"Well…" Mia eventually sighed. "This sucks."

"Are we sure that's it though?" Connor asked, wanting to bring Roy off the psychological cliff he was clearly on. "I mean…someone being mad enough at Oliver for killing their loved-one to go out and be trained as an advanced archer…so that they can come back here to kill people you saved?"

"It's not impossible."

"I know, but it just seems a little convoluted. That's all I'm saying."

"But it's the best lead we have," Roy said, still staring at the floor with a far-away gaze.

Mia glanced at Roy, then at Connor. The two shared a knowing look. "Uh…Roy… Maybe you should take a nap. You look…grey."

"I don't need to sleep-"

"Just a short nap," Connor argued. "We'll clean up and have lunch. Some rest will help you sort all this out later."

"…Ok." Roy left the room, slowly shuffling out. When he got to his room, he barely took the time to undress before he threw himself under the covers.

— —

It was past dinner time by the time Roy was conscious again. He rolled out of bed and sat on the edge of his mattress, staring listlessly at the floor. Thankfully, there'd only been a couple of minor nightmares over several hours. Nothing that had woken him screaming, so that was something. He put on sweats, then wrapped his arms around his body as he left his bedroom. No one was in the living room, but he did find a plate of food (wrapped in saran wrap and a sticky note with his name on top) in the fridge. Roy wasn't hungry though, so he continued to the living room. Connor was on the floor with Lian in her lap, reading to her; and Mia was watching tv.

"Good to see you're alive," Mia smiled.

"There's food for you in the fridge," Connor said without looking up from the book.

"I saw," Roy replied. "Thanks, but I'm not hungry." He sighed and rubbed his face. "Connor…would you hate me if I went out alone tonight?"

"No." This made the teen lookup. "Why do you want to go out alone?"

"I don't know if I'm going to patrol, but I need some…fresh air."

"Go for it. I think Lian would hate me if I didn't finish this book anyway."

Roy smiled and walked over to them so he could kiss Lian on the top of her head. "Everyone behave."

"I'm always a perfect angel," Mia said.

"Mhm…" Shoving his hands in his pockets, Roy went downstairs to the arrow cave. He put his suit on, moving almost robotically as he changed. There was no desire to go out and patrol. Unlike every other night, the desire to go on patrol. The information they'd discovered earlier weighed heavily on him. A dark web of emotions spread through his chest. 'I just… I need to think,' Red Arrow thought as he went to his bike. Once he was driving through the city, everything felt the tiniest bit better. Being out as a vigilante had always had that effect for him. Which gave him a little bit of clearer head to examine the situation with. 'The killer wants revenge on me. Because of Oliver. This person is murdering innocent people to get to me.' A sick feeling settled in his stomach and goosebumps ran down his arms. 'I need to talk to someone about this…' There was only one person he could think of, so he set a course for the Star City police station.

Ten minutes later, Detective Rodgerson jumped when someone knocked on the window of his office. His head snapped up with the sound, then he rolled his eyes when he saw who it was. Nonetheless, he got up to unlock the window. "Not sure how you think climbing the side of a police station is sneaky," he muttered, turning away as the vigilante climbed through the window.

"I have some…information about the black arrow deaths," Red Arrow said.

Rodgerson almost raised an eyebrow at how shaky the archer's voice was. Normally he was confident and sure. "What did you find?"

"My…sidekicks and I… We went through a lot of background information about the victims and…it looks like the killer is targeting them because of me."

"You?"

"Yeah…" Red Arrow shifted on his feet a little and his gaze fell to the ground. "All of them were people that I've saved at some point. And it's…not completely improbable that someone who was victimized by Green Arrow might be taking revenge on me."

"Because you were his sidekick…" Rodgerson nodded as he crossed his arms. "Well…shit."

"I- I'm sorry."

"…For?"

"Putting people in danger." Red Arrow swallowed. His heart pounded painfully in his chest. "This- This is my fault."

"How do you figure?"

"It's because I came back to Star City… I wanted to protect people but me being here is putting them in danger because of what Green Arrow did-"

"Archer!" Rodgerson blanked for a minute when the vigilante's whole body flinched at his shout. He waited for a moment while Red Arrow took several deep breaths. It was silent for a couple of minutes. When Red Arrow's breathing was normal, Rodgerson spoke again. "How old were you when you became Green Arrow's sidekick?"

"12."

"Well…damn." Rodgerson leaned against the wall, keeping his arms crossed. He glanced at the vigilante again, noting the way the younger man was almost hunched over, even though he was still standing. "It's not your fault."

"I'm the real target."

"Green Arrow is probably the target if your theory is correct, so it seems like the killer is displacing his anger over what Green Arrow did at you. And nothing that happened to the person justifies killing people. The only person to blame is whoever's putting arrows through innocent citizens. It isn't your fault, kid."

Red Arrow's mouth quivered a little. "I'm not a kid."

"How old are you? 20?"

"23."

"Basically a fetus, then."

Red Arrow's mouth quivered a little more and he let out a choked cough. He took a deep breath, then forced himself to straighten. "What do we do now?"

"Keep working the case. Not much else to do. A list of people who'd have a bone to pick with Green Arrow isn't exactly short."

"I'll try to start working it on my end."

"Maybe we'll get lucky and the killer will slip up."

"Maybe…" Red Arrow left through the window, seeking some time alone. So instead of going back to his bike, he climbed a nearby building and sat on the edge of the roof. His legs hung off the side and he tapped his heels against the bricks. The conversation with the detective played over in his head. 'I still can't help but feel like some of this is my fault. I came back to Star to help people but…I feel like I'm putting them in more danger.' There was no way he could stop being Red Arrow though. He at least owed it to the people of Star to bring down the serial killer. 'I have to stop him. I have to keep people safe.' The weight of the discovery still settled too heavily on his shoulders, so he decided to go home. 'In a few days, once I've processed everything, I'll hit the streets again. It'll look better in a few days.'

So, Red Arrow went back to the Arrow Cave, intending to spend some time doing maintenance the trick arrows. However, he'd only just gotten to work when his comm beeped in his ear. "Red Arrow," he said, trying to hide his confusion.

"Roy," Nightwing said, his voice tight and stressed. "I- I need your help."

"With what?"

"A mission. It's..it's important."

"Why?" When he didn't get a response, Red Arrow sighed. "Why is this mission important, Nightwing? Why do you need my help?"

"Because…" Nightwing sighed. "It's Tim, Roy. He's in trouble."

Red Arrow froze. After a few seconds, he abruptly stood. "I'm on my way."


	47. The Hunt

A/N: Hello everyone! I hope this chapter fits well. As a reminder, the season 2 plot has been happening in the background while Roy's been busy in Star. Enjoy!

The beach outside Mount Justice— or at least, what was Mount Justice— looked exactly like Red Arrow remembered it. Granted, he'd been here just a few months before, saying goodbye to Batman when he was leaving Earth. However, that wasn't what immediately came to mind. His brain conjured up images of his 18th birthday. As clearly as he could see anything, Red Arrow saw Kaldur laughing and splashing him. The happiness he'd felt that day still existed in the memory, but in the memory, it stayed. That happiness no longer leeched into his brain, it didn't make him smile contentedly like it used to. Instead, something cold wrapped itself around his heart. 'Focus,' he thought sharply. 'You need to focus on the mission. Tim and Barbara need help. There's something important to focus on.'

"Glad you came," Nightwing said from behind.

Red Arrow spun around and his hand instinctively jumped to his quiver. After a few seconds, his brain registered who it was, so he relaxed. "You shouldn't sneak up on people like that."

Nightwing laughed as he stepped out of the shadows, the dark parts of his suit seeming to appear out of nothing. "I think you're getting soft on me, bro."

"Play nice," Miss Martian said as she appeared at Nightwing's side. She smiled at Red Arrow. "Hey."

"Hey," Red Arrow replied. "Been a while."

"Too long." Miss Martian flew over to Red Arrow and hugged him. She smiled, even more, when he returned the gesture. "How've you been?"

"Fine. You?"

"I'm good."

When she pulled away, there was a moment when Red Arrow thought she might say something, but then the hesitation passed. "I'm glad you're here to help."

"Of course." Red Arrow looked at Nightwing. "What'd we know so far?"

"Nothing good," Nightwing replied. "Come on, I'll show you."

Red Arrow followed them onto the bioship. "What's the plan here?"

"It's not really a plan…" Nightwing sat in the pilot's seat. "So far we're just searching for exactly where they are."

"Where are we starting?"

" The Warworld."

"…The what?"

"You'll see."

Red Arrow sat back in his seat. 'I guess this is what happens when I don't stay in contact with my siblings or the Team,' he thought as they flew into space. 'I've been busy but…maybe I should've made a bigger effort. We should be keeping an eye on each other while Bruce is gone.' Though, he also wondered why Dick didn't ask him for help if things were getting difficult. 'Maybe I could ask him about it later-' His thoughts were suddenly caught off by the sight of what was undoubtedly the scariest space station he'd ever seen. It was the size of a small planet, with horrible, ugly jetting back metal covering the entire thing. It gave Red Arrow the chills just looking at it. "Is that-"

"The Warworld."

"They're in there?"

"Somewhere…" Nightwing looked at Miss Martian, who nodded, then her eyes started glowing. "M'gann will scan for the Team. Hopefully, we'll be able to pinpoint their exact location. We can't exactly search the entire thing."

"Yeah…"

Nightwing smiled gravely at Red Arrow's tone. "Whelmed, big bro?"

"I'm starting to feel like I'm more out of the loop than I thought." Red Arrow focused on looking outside the bio-ship, so he didn't see Miss Martian incline her head slightly at Nightwing. However, the gesture only lasted a few seconds before she went back to scanning and they lapsed into silence.

— —

Meanwhile, back in Star, Connor, and Mia were playing with Lian while the tv played in the background.

"Do you think Roy's ok?" Connor asked as he handed Lian another block.

"It's Roy," Mia said as she helped Lian stack the blocks. "Of course he's fine."

Connor glanced at the tv, then frowned. "Think it has anything to do with that?"

"The Reach Ambassador held a press conference today," the news anchor said. "as a celebration for the latest achievements of the hero, Blue Beetle." It cut to a clip of the Reach Ambassador.

"-and in addition to our joint scientific advancements," the Ambassador said, "Earth has also gained a new hero. One part human individual, one part Reach technology. Blue Beetle is the living embodiment of the peaceful union between our peoples. Plus, he saved us all from the Warworld. Not too shabby." Both the ambassador and the gathered audience clapped. "And this is only the beginning. Just imagine what the fixture holds when together, we reach for tomorrow."

It cut back to the news anchor, who interjected briefly. "There was an especially interesting question from an unlikely source."

The camera cut to a different angle of a young girl approaching the stage. As she got closer, the Reach Ambassador came down the steps to meet her. "Greetings young one," he said as he knelt at her level. "Do you have a question?"

"Uh…I thought the Justice League protected the Earth," the girl told him. "Why didn't they stop the Warworld?"

The Reach Ambassador audibly sighed. "I wonder about that too. Just as I wonder why they seem to attract so many outer space bullies to your planet. Maybe the Warworld was a bully too big for the League to handle. Good things your news friends the Reach were here to protect you." Everyone applauded again while Blue Beetle picked the girl up and put her on his shoulder. The Ambassador stood as he addressed the gathered crowd. "The threat that was the Warworld is now a new hope for mankind. A weapon to defend your planet. We, the Reach, will safeguard this weapon, without boarding it until such time as humanity is ready to assume control. The Warworld is our gift to you!"

"Ugh," Mia scoffed, rolling her eyes. "What a load of…you know."

"You don't trust them?" Connor asked her with a smile.

"Of course not. Did you hear the way he talked to that girl? It's blatant manipulation. Like a page right out of Richard's playbook. Besides, he sounds like that Godfrey guy when he talks about the League. I don't think we should trust anyone who sounds that delusional." She looked at him. "Do you trust them?"

"No. Roy doesn't trust them, so I don't either. He was on the Team, he knows about this stuff. If he says they can't be trusted, then they can't. Plain and simple."

"Wish everyone else could see it that way."

"Maybe that's why Roy won't let us have that Reach energy drink."

Mia gave him an amused look. "You think they're brainwashing the planet with an energy drink?"

"We don't know what they're capable of. Who knows what's in it?"

"True, I guess. Well, whatever's happening, I'm sure whoever's left in the Justice League right now is handling it."

"And the Team."

Mia sighed a little bit and looked at the floor. "It's what we could be doing if Roy would actually let us join."

"He's just trying to protect us."

"But we're so good now!"

"I know, but Roy needs us here. To help with Lian, day-to-day stuff, the Hood, and regular patrols on top of everything-"

"I know, I know. He can't do it without us. Still, …it'd be so cool to be on a team like that, you know. We could actually make some friends with people our age who get to do all the cool stuff we do every night."

"It would be. But Roy needs us."

Mia nodded in agreement. "And helping Roy is more important than anything. Even the Team."

"Agreed."

— —

"Anything?" Nightwing asked quietly.

Miss Martian sighed as she slumped back in her seat. "No…" she whispered. "Sorry. I can't sense any of them. With the Warworld so…big, they could easily be out of range."

"We've been flying the surface grid pattern for hours," Red Arrow said. "And…you're exhausted."

"I'm fine! I can do this."

"Of course," Nightwing agreed, putting his hands up in a placating gesture. "But there's no need to tax yourself so soon after your kidnapping."

"Wait!" Red Arrow interjected, his heart rate spiking suddenly. "Kidnapping?!"

"Besides, we're not giving up." Nightwing didn't even acknowledge that his brother had spoken. "We'll start over where the Team first disappeared for a new lead."

"Right…" Miss Martian agreed reluctantly. "If you think it best."

The bio-ship pulled away from the Warworld and Red Arrow sat forward on the edge of his seat. "Can we go back to Miss Martian getting kidnapped?! Are you ok?"

"I'm fine, Red Arrow."

"What happened? Who kidnapped you?"

Miss Martian opened her mouth to brush his question off, but Nightwing spoke before she could. "It was Black Manta," he told his brother quietly.

Red Arrow swallowed. "Was- Was Kaldur involved?"

"Not directly," Miss Martian replied quickly. "It- He didn't kidnap me personally."

"That's…good…" Red Arrow sat back and looked away, trying to settle the jumpy feeling under his skin. He stayed like that until they stopped in a docking bay of the Warworld. After taking a deep breath, Red Arrow stood, but Nightwing stopped him.

"Why don't you stay on the bio-ship, just in case something goes wrong?" he suggested.

"Because you know, nothing ever goes wrong on these missions."

Nightwing smiled. "Exactly. Keep an eye on everything and let us know if there's trouble."

"Got it."

Miss Martian and Nightwing disembarked from the ship. As soon as they stepped out into the docking bay, the latter started scanning with his holo-glove. Miss Martian watched him silently for a few seconds. "Haven't you already scanned every inch of this place?" she asked.

"Yes… But I'm obviously capable of missing obvious clues," Nightwing replied, clearly on edge. "I totally should've spotted evidence of Blue Beetle being compromised after Green Beetle…fixed the scarab."

"That's my fault. You asked me to scan Green's mind and I vouched for him without looking deep. I was so afraid to use my powers after what I did to Aqualad… I allowed Green Beetle and his scarab to feed me exactly what the Reach wanted us to believe. So Blue trusted Green and was turned by him. And somehow abducted the Team. All on me."

"Except you never would've been in that position if I had trusted you with the secret of Aqualad's…" Nightwing glanced back toward the bio-ship, then dropped his voice to a whisper. "deep cover mission. I put you, Aqualad, Artemis, and the whole team in unacceptable danger."

'And Roy?' Miss Martian asked, switching to the mind link. Nightwing pulled away and a wave of guilt assaulted her mind through the link. 'Dick, while I was fixing Kaldur's mind…I saw the truth. Not just about the undercover mission, but about what you two did to Roy.'

'We protected him-'

'You broke his heart! Both of you! Do you know what Kadlur said while I was in his mind? I never wanted to hurt him… The guilt of what he did to Roy is eating him alive. He can barely live with himself!'

'He had to! The Light knows everything about us, so they definitely would've known about Kaldur and Roy's relationship! We couldn't take the chance they would use Roy against Kaldur.'

Miss Martian narrowed her eyes. 'There's something else… That's not the only reason you convinced Kaldur to break-up with Roy. What was it?'

'There isn't-'

'I can feel it, Dick. Don't lie to me.'

Nightwing sighed. 'If Roy believed Kaldur had truly gone to the dark side…everyone else would too.'

'You're heartless.' She only felt slightly bad when Nightwing flinched back but kept pushing. 'He's your brother, Dick! You can't keep manipulating him like this-'

'I'm not manipulating him!' A sharp wave of anger traveled through the mind link. 'I'm protecting him! Yes, Roy was hurt by what happened, but it's for the best. We did what was best for him! Because we love him.'

'If you really loved Roy, either of you, then you would've let him decide what was best for himself.' Miss Martian's anger soften a little at the genuine guilt she felt from Nightwing. 'You need to tell him.'

'I can't. Not right now. I will eventually but right now… I have a Team to find and Roy has a serial killer running around his city.'

'You have to be the one to tell him before he finds out some other way.'

'I know…'

Miss Martian smiled a little bit. "So, is this a guilt off? I tell you I feel bad, then you say you messed up worse? Dick, we both made mistakes, but we both need to get over ourselves. Save the Team, then save Blue, and tell your brother the truth. As a certain 13-year-old was once fond of saying, that's just what we do."

There was a moment of hesitation, then Nightwing smiled. It lasted a moment though because the screeching of metal caught both their attention. "Hey guys," Red Arrow said over the comms. "Do you hear that?!"

'We do,' Miss Martian replied, bringing him into the mind link with her and Nightwing. The two of them faced the metal doors of the docking bay. Red Arrow ran off the bio-ship, an arrow nocked to his bowstring and ready. Before they could do anything though, a notification popped up on Nightwing's holo-glove. The three of them looked at it in confusion, then a familiar beeping came through the communication line. A second later the doors opened and Sphere rolled though. "Sphere!"

Sphere bounced, then rolled over to them. Miss Martian dropped down to hug him, while Nihgtiwng and Red Arrow gave him warm smiles and pats. He spun around to face Miss Martian and she gasped.

"Can you take us to Superboy?"

Sphere beeped in response. He turned into the sphere cycle and Nightwing smiled widely.

"I think that's a yes," he said.

"All aboard," Red Arrow muttered as they got on the cycle. He let Nightwing drive and knelt on the seat to serve as their protection. They drove so fast that everything had a slight blur to it, but it barely bothered him. He simply let his brain wander into his instinctual shooting. They only came across a few enemy soldiers, where were all silenced by his electroshock arrows before they could raise any kind of alarm. 'How much further?'

'No clue,' Nightwing replied. 'Miss M?'

'I can feel them!' she replied excitedly. 'It's faint, like seeing someone from a distance, but they're there!'

'Good enough for me.'

Red Arrow felt a small wave of relief. He'd landed another arrow, then Nightwing shouted over the mind link.

'Red Arrow, down!'

Instinctually, the archer threw himself back into the seat. Two seconds later, the Sphere-cycle broke through a metal door. He took a second to analyze the situation, four teenagers he didn't know fighting someone (or something) in black, beetle armor before he moved. The three heroes attacked as one of the teens used…electricity to throw something at Black Beetle. However, Black Beetle just blasted it back at the teen. He just barely managed to stop it as a teen girl hit Black Beetle with some kind of sonic blast. While she did that, Red Arrow shot a glue arrow at the adversary. "Anyone got a plan?!" he shouted.

"Keep him off balance!" the teen floating on the piece of metal replied with a grunt as he moved the large piece of metal away from himself "That's the plan!"

"We need a better plan…" Nightwing muttered, looking around. He spotted a status tube with…Mongul… A smile spread accords his face. "I have an idea! Keep doing what you're doing!"

"Gee, so glad we had the professionals here to tell us that!" the girl shouted.

Red Arrow couldn't help but smile a little as he shot an arrow at Black Beetle's face to keep the villains' attention on them. He threw himself into a backflip to avoid being blasted. The girl blasted Black Beetle again, drawing his attention toward her. Red Arrow shot an electroshock arrow at the same moment the there teen shocked Black Beetle with his own electricity. The combined shock stunned Beetle for five seconds. Luckily as soon as he started moving again, there was a loud crash! Red Arrow glanced back and his heart almost stopped.

"Uh…amigo," a third teen said, teleporting next to Nightwing, who was stepping back from the unconscious Mongul. "I don't think you're clear on who you're supposed to rescue…"

"Trust me…" Nightwing replied quietly as Mongul opened his eyes with a growl. The vigilante pulled the teen back slowly. "I'm perfectly clear."

Black Beetle tired to blast Red Arrow and Miss Martian but then spotted the newly freed adversary. "Mongul…" he growled. "This is all your fault!"

"Reach…" Mongul replied in his gravelly voice as he stood. He ran at Black Beetle, who flew at him, kneeling both of them back.

"Free the Team!" Nightwing shouted. "I've got their weapons!"

Red Arrow wasted no time shooting the nearest status pod with an electroshock arrow. The electricity creating teen followed suit and soon they were going through, pod by pod, freeing people as Miss Martian lowered them gentler to the ground. As soon as Robin and Batgirl were free, Red Arrow ran over to them and knelt beside them. "Hey…" he said gently shaking them both. "Are you guys ok?"

"Hmmm?" Robin moaned as he sat up. As soon as his eyes adjusted and focused on the archer, he smiled a little. "Hey, Red. Been a while."

"Wish it were under better circumstances," Batgirl agreed with a wry grin.

"The feeling's mutual," Red Arrow said as he helped them stand.

"Let's go!" Nightwing shouted as he returned, now carrying the confiscated weapons. "Whoever can't run rides in the Sphere-cycle."

"I can run," Robin protested as Red Arrow carried him bridal-style to sit him it the Sphere cycle.

"No you can't," the archer replied sternly, using the voice he used with his own sidekicks back home. "Stay." He helped Batgirl sit next to Robin. Once he was certain the two of them were fine, he moved to the front of the group. Everyone ran together, with the Sphere cycle just behind them, sprinting back to the docking bay. Red Arrow kept his bowstring nocked as he ran, ready to be shot in a moment's notice. However, through some cosmic stroke of luck, they made it back without running into any more soldiers.

"All aboard," Miss Martian said s the door to the bio-ship opened.

"Uh-uh," Robin said, swatting Red Arrow's helping hand away. "I can walk."

"Ok…" Red Arrow replied, trying to reign in his protective-mentor instincts.

"I think congratulations are in order," Nightwing told the four teens who'd helped them fight Black Beetle. "No training, no guidance, and yet you pulled it off. When we get back, after a debrief, there might be a place for all of you with the Team."

"Wow, Really?" the one who'd been shooting electricity asked.

"So now that we saved your butts, you're cool with us not being S.T.A.R. Labs' guinea pigs?" another boy, maybe the leader, replied angrily.

"Dude, chill."

"Nothing's really changed, Virgil. We're just useful now." The leader turned back to Nightwing. "Thanks, but no thanks. We're doing just fine on our own." He looked at the girl. "Asami?" She pulled a boom tube out of her pocket and Red Arrow's eyes widened.

"Is that-" Nightwing began, but she cut him off.

"Oh, please," she said, rolling her eyes. The four teens disappeared from the docking bay in a flash of golden light.

Red Arrow looked at Nightwing. "Something else I'm missing?" he asked.

"It's been a busy four months," Nightwing replied. "We should go." The two of them turned to board the bio-ship. "You sticking around for the de-brief?"

"I should probably go home. It's been over 24 hours, so I need some sleep before I head out on patrol."

"Right, your serial killer."

"Have you gotten any closer to finding him?" Robin asked, popping up at Red Arrow's side. "We've been following the case in the news."

"Not yet. But I'm getting closer."

"If you need help, let us know," Batgirl told him. "Homicidal maniacs are basically our specialty."

"Thanks, but I have all the help I need. You know, with the police." The last part was tacked on hurriedly, but no one seemed to notice. He put his arm over Robin's shoulders. "And I think you guys should be the ones calling me for help. I've been really out of the loop, but there's clearly something big happening here."

"Very big," Nightwing replied as Miss Martian piloted the bio-ship out of the docking bay, then away from the Warworld. "It's more obvious by the day the Reach aren't here on as friendly terms as they've claimed in public."

"I figured. Promise you'll at least extend an invitation when you're finally able to take them down?"

Nightwing smiled a little bit. "Count on it."

"Good. Come on, Rob, BG. You guys should sit."

"We're fine…" Robin groaned quietly, but let Red Arrow lead him away anyway; with Batgirl following.

Nightwing watched them go for a few seconds before his smile fell. The conversation he'd had with Miss Martian earlier came back to him. 'The last thing I, or Kadlur, wanted was to hurt Roy. But I have to keep him in the dark. Not just for his safety. He doesn't even realize it, but our mission is counting on him being ignorant of what's really going on.' A twinge of guilt plucked at his heart, but he ignored it. 'I'm sorry, Roy. But the ends will justify the means. You'll see. I did what I had to do.'


	48. The Final Piece

A/N: Hey guys! This is a very important chapter, so enjoy!

When Roy got home, he just barely had enough energy to kiss Lian, wave to Connor and Mia, then stumble into his bedroom and collapse on the bed. The two teens gave each other looks before Connor went to Roy's bedroom. He saw the man fast asleep, so he took the baby monitor, then silently shut the door.

It was nearly a full day and a half before Roy was conscious again.

The clock informed him it was noon when he woke, and also June 1st. He groaned, then rubbed his eyes as he left his bedroom. 'And this is why I left the Team,' he thought with a smile as he walked into the kitchen. 'Too much going on.'

"He lives!" Mia cheered as Roy walked in. She turned back toward the stove and their lunch. "Sort of. You kind of look like a zombie."

"Thanks," he mumbled. "You're cooking?"

"Connor's teaching me how."

"We're starting small," Connor explained. "Grilled cheese sandwiches." He was sitting at the table, feeding baby food to Lian.

"Yummy," Roy said as he sat at the table. "How long was I asleep?"

"Roughly 17 and a half hours."

"Connor was worried," Mia added.

"Well, sleeping that much can't be healthy in normal circumstances," Connor said defensively. "He could've been seriously hurt and the lack of consciousness was a symptom of that!"

Roy smiled a little. "I'm fine, Connor. A little bruised, but that's it."

"Did you rescue Robin and Batgirl?" Mia asked him.

"And your team?" Connor added.

"We did," Roy confirmed. "Everyone is ok, which is a relief. I was right not to trust the Reach though."

"We saw that ambassador guy on the news. He was badmouthing the Justice League."

"I'm not surprised." Roy stretched for a moment. "Dick says they're up to something, but he doesn't know what yet. Whatever it is though, he promised he'd let me help with the take-down."

"Can we come too?!" Mia asked excitedly.

"Yeah, we could help!" Connor agreed.

"…Maybe. I'll think about it," Roy replied as Mia placed plates, each with grilled cheese, on the table. "For now, we have something more important to worry about."

"The Hood?" Mia asked, sitting at the table.

"Why do you guys insist on calling him that?"

"He wears a hood."

"But you two- never mind. Yes, him. I know we've potentially narrowed it down to someone who might've been victimized by Oliver, but that's still a substantially sized pool of people. We need to continue to narrow it down."

"How?" Connor asked.

"I'll get into the police database so we can access their files. You guys will take turns to help me go through the files concerning Oliver's victims. There might be information there we can use. I also want to adjust the patrol schedule to have you guys switch off every other night instead of weekly."

"Why?"

"So you'll be nice and fresh each night. We'll be doing a lot of running around trying to catch the killer."

"We're ready," Mia said. "And we'll have these lovely grilled cheese sandwiches to fuel us."

"They look great." Roy took a bite. "And they taste great. Since you cooked, Connor cleaned up after and stay up here with Lian. Mia will help me with file searching first. You guys can work in two-hour shifts as you work."

"What about you?" Connor asked.

"I'll be fine. I just slept forever, remember?"

"If you're sure…"

"I am. See you downstairs, Mia."

Mia waited until Roy left the room, then looked at Connor. "He'll be fine," she said. "Don't worry."

"I think worrying about him is in the sidekick job description."

"With Roy, we should probably pick our battles." She stood, grabbing her plate and cup as she did. "Plus, he's right. The sooner we get The Hood off the streets, the better."

'Hard to argue with that,' Connor thought as Mia put her dishes in the sink, then left. He looked at Lian, who was playing with her banana slices. "Looks like it's just the two of us for today. Want to watch Sesame Street?"

Downstairs, Mia settled down on the floor with the laptop. "What exactly am I looking for?" she asked Roy.

"Look for a victim who had a family member that disappeared for an extended period of time."

'Like a needle in a haystack.' The laptop was already open to the police crime database. There was an entire file dedicated to crimes involving Green Arrow. She started at the top, opening the first case. A frown crossed her features as she read about the reports of car burglaries that had been plaguing the area. However, the frown quickly deepened and her stomach churned when it was revealed that the police found a 19-year-old pinned to a wall by his neck. 'Why would he kill someone so young?' she wondered as she took the victim's name, then began searching for living family members. 'It's so…brutal.' And Roy had dealt with this when he was 12. She glanced up at Roy, whose attention was absorbed by his computer. 'The only good thing Oliver ever did for Star was inspiring Roy to become the great hero he is.'

The research was slow going. Each case had to be checked one by one for a victim's name, then a search for living family members. All the family members (or any loved ones like spouses) had to be checked to see if they'd left Star for any significant amount of time. The names of anyone who couldn't be found online were added to a list Roy had on his computer, along with their last known address. Mia had a similar list, but hers was in a notebook. They worked silently all afternoon, each completely absorbed by their task. So they didn't notice when Connor came downstairs.

"Dinner's ready," he said. "Lian's already started without us."

"Go upstairs without me," Roy said, not looking away from his computers.

"But…you need to eat."

"I'll be fine."

"Roy-"

"I've patrolled on an empty stomach before, Connor. This isn't something new for me. I'll be fine."

Connor flinched a little, then looked at Mia, who gave him a solemn nod. He waited as she set the laptop and notebook aside, then stood. The two shared one more nod before they attacked. As quickly as possible, they converged on Roy, dragging his chair away from the computer.

"Hey! What're you guys-"

"You're not going on patrol unless you eat," Mia informed him, she and Connor spinning his chair so he wasn't facing the monitors.

"We're not letting you skip dinner," Connor added. 'It's our job to help him. Sometimes that's letting him sleep, sometimes it's forcing him to eat dinner.'

"Come on."

Roy sighed, trying not to laugh as the two teens grabbed his hands, then pulled him to his feet. "You guys are unbelievable," he said, amusement evident in his voice, even though he tried to hide it.

"Blame the guy who trained us. Let's go, we don't want Connor's wonderful meal to get cold."

Defeated, Roy let them pull him out of the Arrow Cave, then up the stairs to the apartment. Lian was in her highchair when they walked into the kitchen, using her fingers to spoon baby food into her mouth. "She's going to make a mess," Roy said as he sat in a chair next to her.

"She's learning independence," Connor answered as he started serving dinner. "Besides, she's too young to use a spoon."

Roy rolled his eyes a little, then ruffled his daughter's hair. Even though Connor and Mia had forced him to be physically present at dinner, his mind was elsewhere the entire time. He kept thinking back over the cases he'd gone over that day, and how many more he'd be able to get through before patrol started that night, only to remember that he needed to do maintenance on the trick arrows before they left that night. 'I should really teach Connor and Mia how to do at least basic maintenance.' It would definitely be a good skill to add to their personal repertoire. Maybe after they caught the serial killer. Wanting to get work, Roy finished his dinner as soon as he could, then stood. "Mia's patrolling tonight," he said as put his plate and cup in the sink, then left the kitchen.

When he got downstairs, Roy went straight to his workbench to do the arrow maintenance. As stressed as he was about catching the serial killer, once he settled into the familiar routine of maintenance, some of the tension left his body. Most of his trick arrows were of his original designs from way back when he started out as Arsenal, so maintaining them was a simple task. The motions and tasks were so second nature it was like his own form of personal meditation. While the dangers of the serial killer were still on his mind, they were banished to the edges of his mind as he worked. It allowed his muscles to relax, which was probably for the best since he'd be patrolling soon. He had all the trick arrows he'd wanted to work on done by the time Mia was getting ready for patrol.

Within ten minutes, Red Arrow was suited up as well. "Ready, Speedy?" he asked, double-checking that thumb drive he'd downloaded the names onto had all the information.

"Yup," Speedy replied, ready to go.

"Excellent. Let's go."

Since she didn't know how to drive Green Arrow's motorcycle, Speedy got behind Red Arrow on his. "You need to teach me how to drive GA's bike," she said as they left the Arrow Cave. "It isn't fair that he's the only one who can drive it."

"It's his bike!"

"I still want to learn! I've been doing this for over a year, now! I deserve to learn!"

"I'll think about it." It wasn't a bad idea, but Red Arrow also couldn't shake the idea that forcing the younger archers to share a bike would also force them to work as a team. He wanted them to watch each other's backs all the time. 'They do that too,' he admitted to himself. 'Connor and Mia always back each other up.' Which was true if they were in their masks or out of them. 'But not right now. Right now I need to be focused on catching the serial killer and getting him off the streets.' Red Arrow stopped the bike across the street from the police station in his usual spot, then climbed off. "I'll be back."

"Can I come?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"You know why I don't want you and GA getting too close with the police."

"I thought you and Rodgerson were like…best friends now?"

Red Arrow smiled a little. "We're not exactly braiding each other's hair, Speedy. He trusts me I don't want to push it."

"Alright, fine."

"Stay-"

"Stay quiet and hidden."

Red Arrow sprinted across the street, then scaled the building to Rodgerson's office. The window was already open, so he rapped this knuckles against it to announce his presence, then climbed through the window. "Detective."

"Archer," Rodgerson said, not looking up from the file open in front of him.

"I have some information for you." Red Arrow put the thumb drive down on the desk in front of the detective. "It's a list of 30 people who had a loved one killed by Green Arrow and hasn't yet been accounted for."

"Do I want to ask where you got this information?"

"…Probably not."

"Fair enough." Detective Rodgerson looked up from his file and picked up the thumb drive. "If we have to go through every since one of the people Green Arrow killed, it could take months."

"I've got helpers. Divide and conquer. We do the research, you do the knocking on doors."

"Whatever works, I guess." Rodgerson put the thumb drive in a drawer. "We-" His phone started ringing, cutting him off. "Rodgerson," he said, answering it. After a few seconds, he sighed and dropped his head into his free hand. "Goddammit! Where? Uh-huh. Ok, thanks. Be there soon." Rodgerson hung up, then let out another tired sigh. "There's been another killing."

"Where?!"

"Some backstreet in the Lower Quarter. Eastman Ave."

Before Rodgerson could say anything else, Red Arrow left his office. The vigilante quickly climbed back to the street, then bolted to where he'd left Speedy.

"What's going on?" Speedy asked as Red Arrow silently got on the bike. She just barely had time to put her arms around him before they took off. "Red?!"

"There's been another black arrow murder!"

A silent chill settled over Speedy. She didn't ask any more questions and simply held on tighter to her mentor. The buildings blurred around them as they drove. The wind whipped down the hood of Speedy's cape, but she barely paid it any mind. Her heart pounded in her chest. 'Maybe we'll get there in time to catch the guy! It's so early, we might make it.' They eventually stopped in an alley and the two immediately disembarked from the bike. Seedy followed Red Arrow to the edge of the alley. Across the narrow street, the police had cordoned off the area, with the red and blue flashing lights of their cars the only thing lighting up the area.

"Come on," Red Arrow whispered. They took to the rooftops, moving down the street, then across to the same side as the crime scene. When style circled back to the crime seven, they knelt at the edge of the rooftop. Red Arrow pulled out his binoculars. The woman had been shot in the chest, probably right in the heart judging by the blood splatter. 'The crime scene is pretty neat, especially considering the brutality of the crime, so she must've died pretty quickly.' Whoever had done this was incredibly skilled. 'I know from experience that it takes lots of practice to get shots like that just right.' Judging by the angle, the killer was most likely on ground level with the victim. 'So he didn't just ambush her from the rooftop, even though that would've been easier if what I've theorized about his abilities are accurate.' Almost like the killer wanted to watch her die. A shiver went down his spine and he put the binoculars away with a sigh. "Let's spread out and canvas the area."

"Think we'll catch him?" Speedy asked quietly as they left the edge of the roof.

"No, but…we have to at least try." Red Arrow knew he couldn't just do nothing with another civilian dead. "Nine blocks."

"I know the route."

They did the canvas— checking the nine-block radius street by street— but as both vigilantes suspected, the killer was long gone. Red Arrow kept the patrol confined to the Lower Quarter, hoping that maybe he'd find a witness or evidence that the killer had dropped. However, at the end of the night, they returned home empty-handed. Red Arrow didn't even change out of his suit. He went straight to the computer and resumed the research from earlier.

Mia changed out of her suit but hesitated at the bottom of the stairs. She watched Roy for several minutes before she eventually slipped silently upstairs.

— —

The next day was almost identical. Roy slept late, having been up into the early hours of the morning, ate lunch, then went straight back to the Arrow Cave. Connor and Mia shared a look, but neither of them said anything. The situation was clearly weighing on Roy, not that they could blame him. So, Connor went downstairs to join Roy in the research. Like the day before, they spent the whole afternoon researching, ate dinner, then went on patrol. Thankfully, the black arrow killer didn't strike again that night, but it was little comfort to Roy. They gave the newest list of names to Detective Rodgerson, then went on their patrol. When they got home, Roy went right back to his computer and Connor flunked quietly upstairs.

This was the pattern for the next three days. Nothing but research and patrol, with Connor and Mia switching off every other day. When Mia wandered into the kitchen one morning, Connor was already there with scrambled eggs and toast. "How was it last night?" he asked.

"Long," Mia sighed as she sat at the table. "I swear, this case is driving Roy crazy! We just kept circling the area where the last murder happened!"

"I can't blame him. I mean…it's a really horrible situation. He's just trying to protect the city while someone's going around killing the people he saved."

"It's awful, but Roy's going to run himself into the ground at this rate."

"The sooner we find the killer, the better."

"Then we can kick him in the teeth for trying to make Roy feel bad about what happened."

"What do you mean?"

Mia paused in her eating and gave him a look. "Come on, you know The Hood wants to make Roy feel like this is all happening because of him. That's why he's picking people Roy's saved. It's complete bullshit, too! No matter what Oliver did to this person, it doesn't justify killing all these innocent people now."

"It's a sympathetic motive."

Mia shrugged. "Cool motive, still murder."

Connor rolled his eyes a little, then handed Lian some banana slices. "I'll sleep better when The Hood is caught."

"Have you been praying we'll catch him?"

The question caught Connor off guard. Not just the question itself, but the tone. It was one of genuine curiosity. He shrugged. "Kind of, I guess. I meditate on it, like…trying to focus on the positive of catching the guy."

"There's only so many places in the city he can hide from us."

"I hope so."

As usual, Roy didn't join them until lunch, and only to eat, then retreat downstairs to start research. Since it was Connor's day, he joined their mentor in the Arrow Cave. The day followed their new normal pattern of spending the whole afternoon doing research, then having dinner before leaving for patrol. They even had a few more names to give to Detective Rodgerson before they took off on their patrol. Red Arrow led him to the Lower Quarter, then stopped and sighed. "Find a good place to stake out," he said, voice tired. "No more than four blocks. Got it?"

"I got it," Green Arrow replied. He took off down the blocks and found a good spot, then settled down to keep watch for anything suspicious. For the next several hours, he kept a watchful eye over the area. The street below him was still empty, save for a few people walking on the sidewalks. No crazed archery-based serial killers though. Even though patrol was supposed to be about catching any kind of criminal, however, due to Roy's obsession with The Hood, their focus had shifted almost entirely to catching the serial killer. 'How many people will be killed until we-'

"GA," Red Arrow said over the comms.

"Yeah, Red?"

"Get on your bike and meet me at the corner of Eighth and Reed."

"On it!" Green Arrow lowered himself back to the ground, then got on his bike. "What's going on?"

"I was monitoring the police scanners and they just got a call about another death."

'Oh God…' Green Arrow thought as his stomach churned.

"If we're quick we can be there before the police."

Green Arrow gunned his throttle, taking corners sharply without care. Actually getting to the crime scene before the police would be a huge help. He caught up with his mentor, who lead him toward the murder without saying a word. They drove through the city as fast as they could, trying to balance between taking less-trafficked backroads and the quickest route to the crime scene. Eventually, Red Arrow gave the signal to stop and they braked in an alley.

"The crime scene should be on the other side of the building," Red Arrow whispered as he got off his bike. "Stay here and keep an eye out for the police. As soon as you see lights let me know."

"Ok."

Red Arrow snuck down to the back end of the alley, then used the back-alley between the apartment buildings to get around to the crime scene. There was just enough light from the street for him to see what was going on. The body of the man wasn't propped up against the wall like most of them usually were, this one was laying on the ground. Red Arrow crouched next to the body, eyes scanning for anything useful. At first, he ignored the arrow, but when he's gaze swept up to the neck of the victim, a sudden burst of color in his peripheral made his eyeballs jump up. His mouth went dry and something cold snaked its way around his internal organs. The arrow in the man's neck was red. It wasn't the same shade as his own arrows, which were dark red. This one was bright red, like the blood that soaked the ground. For a few minutes, Red Arrow couldn't move. The sight of the arrow had frozen his muscles.

"Red," GA said in his comm. "I think I hear sirens."

'I have to go,' Red Arrow thought, still not moving. 'I- I have to move! The police can't find me here!' He slowly started to stand but stopped halfway. 'The arrow…' If the police saw a red arrow in this victim, it didn't take a genius to figure out what they'd assume.

"Red…"

The sirens were now close enough that Red Arrow could hear them. He cursed, then quickly and mercilessly yanked the arrow from the man's neck. Trying to ignore the blood, he ran out of the alley and stopped briefly behind the building. Using some evidence bags, he covered both the blood-covered tip and the fletchings. Once he certain the bags were secure, he stowed the arrow in his quiver. Police cars were arriving just as he got back to his bike. "Let's go home," he told Green Arrow. "I've got evidence to analyze."

— —

When they got home, Roy took off his mask but went straight to work with the arrow. Connor changed out of his suit but didn't go upstairs. He sat on the floor and watched Roy, ready to help if necessary. They sat in silence for a few minutes, Roy working and Connor watching him. Eventually, Mia came downstairs, a baby monitor in one hand. "You guys are home early," she said.

"We might have a break in the case," Connor told her.

"Really?! What is it?!"

"An arrow the killer used on his latest victim."

"A red arrow…" Roy muttered, eyes scanning over the arrow carefully. Since he'd already collected any potential DNA samples, he ran his fingers over the arrow. 'There's something weird going on here…' Curious, he took the suit glove off his right hand, then ran his fingertips along the shaft of the arrow. A frown crossed his lips. "Something doesn't feel right…" He ran his fingers along the arrow again, then picked up a small tool from his workbench. Very carefully, he ran the sharp tool along the shaft. After a few tries, the red of the arrow chipped off. 'It's paint!' Eagerly, Roy kept chipping away at the paint. "Why would someone-" The words stopped suddenly, almost strangling him. His heart started jackhammering against his ribs.

"Why would someone what?" Mia asked. No repose.

"Roy?" Connor asked cautiously. "What's wrong?"

Roy just stared at the arrow in his hand. It had indeed been painted red because half an inch of it was now chipped away. Half an inch of green stared back at Roy accusingly. His hands shook, but his fingers gripped the arrow as if it was his last line to reality. This wasn't any murder, it was a message. And there was only one person in the universe who would want to get under Roy's skin like this. "It… It's him…" he whispered so quietly the teens didn't hear.

"What?"

"What'd you say?" Mia asked.

"It- I don't understand. I don't…" Roy swallowed, then shook his head. "It- It's him…"

"Him who?!"

Roy swallowed again, but his eyes never left the arrow in his hands. "It's him… Oliver's back."


	49. Experiences and Decisions

A/N: Ok, this is another important chapter. There's gonna be a lot of those coming up. We've now reached the point where moving forward, updates will only be once a week. So I'll see you next Sunday with the next chapter and let me know what you think of this one!

A deafening silence followed Roy's revelation. Neither Connor or Mia said anything. They didn't even move. Everything just stopped for the three vigilantes. It was almost a full two minutes before one of them finally pulled themselves out of the shock. Mia took a cautious step toward Roy. "Are you sure?" she asked, trying to hide the tremble in her voice.

"It all makes sense…" Roy replied, voice shaking and quiet. "The green arrow… His skill level… The grudge against me…" His stomach churned and he had to stop for a few moments. "It all makes perfect sense now."

"But…he's- Oliver's in space prison! He's not even supposed to be on this planet!"

"I know…"

"But then how…?" Mia looked at Connor for help, but he was just staring at the floor. "Roy…how?"

"I don't know… I- I really don't know…" None of this made any sense. Oliver wasn't supposed to be here! He was supposed to be far away from Earth in the Green Lantern prison! Roy closed his eyes and sighed. "I don't want to do it again."

"Do what?"

"Fight him…" What had happened on the Watchtower five years ago was a triumphant moment for him, but Roy still didn't want to fight him again. The messy ball of emotions that clouded his brain made it hard to think about.

"Why do you have to fight him?" Connor asked quietly, his voice hoarse. Both Roy and Mia looked at him in silent confusion. "I mean… Isn't there anything else we could do?"

"Like what?"

"…Talking to him."

Roy rolled his eyes and scoffed. "He's not the kind of person that can be reasoned with, Connor." Wanting to move, he set the arrow down, then headed for the stairs. As a general rule, he never went upstairs in his suit, but it still the middle of the night, and staying in the backroom wouldn't be too dangerous.

"But what if we tried?!"

"We can't."

"But, Roy-"

"Connor! Stop! I know Oliver. Trust me, we can't reason with him."

"But what if we could?!" Connor followed Roy up to the backroom, Mia scrambling after them. He stood by the wall as his mentor started pacing. "Roy, if we at least try to reason with him then maybe we could make him stop."

"He won't."

"What if he does though?! What if- What if we could change him?"

Roy froze, his back was to Connor, and his fists tightened. Anger and grief bubbled up in his chest. "That's not going to happen, Connor."

"It might! People can change!"

"Not him."

"It could happen! Can't we at least try?!"

"No!"

"Bu-"

"No, Connor!" Roy spun on his heel to glare at Connor. Tremors shook his hands. "Oliver won't change! He won't! I know him, you don't!"

"People can change sometimes!"

"Not him! Oliver will never change!"

"Why not?!"

"Because he doesn't want to! He doesn't understand that he's wrong, Connor! Because's a monster! There's evil in his DNA!" As soon as the words left Roy's mouth he knew they were a mistake. Connor jerked back like Roy had slapped him. The anger in his eyes flashed to hurt and then betrayal. Eyes starting to water, Connor shoved Mia out of the way and ran back downstairs to the Cave. Roy sighed and rubbed his face. "Did that sound as bad as I think it did?" he eventually asked, voice quiet.

"On a scale of 1 to 10?" Mia replied. "11."

"Fuck." Roy sighed, then rubbed his face again. "I should go talk to him-"

"Maybe give him a few minutes? You know, so you can both cool down. My therapist always says you should walk away from an argument and give yourself time to breathe."

A small smile quivered on Roy's lips. "Thanks for the advice."

"You're welcome. I'll go check on Lian." Mia fixed the stairs so she could head up, but stopped to look back at Roy as soon as her foot was on the bottom step. "Just… Connor's got a lot of issues when it comes to Oliver, too. Not as bad as yours but… Promise you'll try to remember that?"

"I will. Promise." Roy watched her go stair's then paced again. 'I wasn't trying to say anything about Connor,' he thought, chewing on his lip. 'He and Oliver are completely different people. They're nothing alike. It's like apples and oranges.' And even if they were similar in any substantial way, he would never judge Connor by Oliver's actions. 'I keep telling him that, but I don't think it's getting through to him! I don't know how else to tell him, though.' Which didn't help because he clearly needed to. At least he'd identified the problem. Roy kept pacing in the backroom, thinking over the situation again and again. He ran through different things he could say to Connor, or how to make the teen understand that he wasn't his father. Eventually, he glanced at the time on his holo-glove. 'It's been almost half an hour. Hopefully, it's been long enough.'

So, Roy took a deep breath, then went downstairs. "Hey, Connor," he said as he got close to the bottom. "Connor… I know you're upset, but we need to talk." He stopped at the bottom of the stairs. Connor wasn't in the center of the room by the computer. He wasn't shooting at the targets either. Dread speed through Roy's veins as he stepped away from the stairs and slowly moved in a circle. "Connor?" he called out. "Connor?!" There was no response. Trying to bite back panic, Roy pulled up his holo-glove to call Mia. "Is Connor upstairs?" he asked without preamble.

"Uh…no," she replied, very confused. "He went down to the Quiver, remember-"

"Fuck!"

"…He's not there, is he?"

"No. I have to go find him. Stay here in case he comes back. Let me know the second he does."

"Ok."

As quick as he could, Red Arrow put his mask back on, then ran to his bike. Nausea hit him when he realized Green Arrow's bike was also gone. 'Goddammit, Connor,' he thought as he got on his bike. 'Where the hell did you go?!'

— —

As soon as Green Arrow had gone downstairs he grabbed his mask and left on his bike. When he was a couple of blocks from home, some of the weight left his shoulders, but most of still sat heavily on him. Roy's words kept echoing in his head.

Oliver was a monster. There was evil in his DNA.

A shiver shot down his spine and Green Arrow's hands tightened on his handlebars. Behind his mask, his eyes watered again. 'Evil in his DNA…' he thought. 'There's evil in Oliver's DNA… In mine.' Something cold squeezed his chest, crushing his heart and lungs. Despair wracked his brain. 'It doesn't matter how good of a hero I am. I'll never be as good as Roy, or even Mia. I'll always be…tainted. Compromised.' No matter what he did, he'd never escape being Oliver Queen's son. Wanting something, anything to distract him, Green Arrow eventually parked his bike in a nearly pitch black, narrowed alley. He took to the rooftops, wanting to run and zip-line so he didn't have to think. The activity was a relief to his tense muscles, so he kept going and going, brain not bothering to keep track of where he was. He didn't care how far from home he was or how many blocks away from his bike he traveled.

Unknown to Green Arrow though, he wasn't alone.

Around the sixth block, a figure dressed from head to toe in black watched him. The man's eyes followed him, eventually walking along the rooftop of the building he was on to follow the teen. 'Where is he going?' he wondered as he followed the young archer. 'Is Roy with him?' He stopped for a moment and looked back. The street was empty. No vigilante in red trailing his protege. The man turned his head back toward the boy, who was still zip-lining without care. A smile crept across Oliver's face as he pulled an arrow from his quiver. 'Roy's not with him,' he thought as he nocked the arrow. 'He's alone.' It was a chance he'd been waiting for. Roy was always with the two kids, never far behind them wherever they went. 'Not now though. The kid is alone.' His smile grew when he realized the boy had crossed the street was now on the same side as him. 'Maybe I should introduce myself.'

Meanwhile, Green Arrow stopped for a moment to catch his breath. He automatically knelt on the rooftop, trying not to draw attention to himself. After a few deep breaths, he lifted his head. As soon as he did, he felt it. A feeling that could've only been honed through his two years of vigilante work shivered down his nerves. Someone was watching him. Green Arrow's eyes narrowed as he swept his gaze over the area. Nothing stuck out to him. He looked again, then he saw it. Something in the shadows by a chimney moved. "Hello?" he called out quietly. "Is someone there?" Whoever it was moved again, but didn't say anything. "It's ok, I won't hurt you." Green Arrow stood, then began to walk cautiously toward the chimney. When he got within five feet, something shot at him and he instinctively threw himself to the ground. "Ah!" A sharp pain cut across the side of his neck. Green Arrow stumbled back, his hand jumping to the cut. "Who's there?" He took a step back when the figure moved away from the chimney, then ran away from the young vigilante. 'It's The Hood- Oliver!' Green Arrow hesitated for a moment, then took off after his father.

He ran across the rooftops, trying to keep up with Oliver. The chase led him several more blocks until he jumped from one rooftop onto another that was just a few feet below. Green Arrow stopped and looked around. "Hello?" he greeted cautiously. His eyes darted from shadow to shadow. The rooftop they were on belonged to a building with several streetlights hanging off the top. This allowed for some light and visibility, but also made the shadows more pronounced. "Oliver? Are you here?"

"So he told you about me?" Oliver replied from somewhere in the darkness.

Green Arrow's head snapped toward the voice. "You mean, Roy? Yeah…" A weird feeling started creeping through his brain, so he reached for his quiver. Before he even touched the fletchings though, something shot past his hand, brushing his fingertips. His arm jerked back and his heart stopped. "You- You almost took my fingers off!"

"I know what I was aiming for."

"Look… I know you're…angry. You're mad at Roy, but you shouldn't be killing innocent people. This isn't their fault-"

"No. It's Roy's."

Green Arrow frowned, still looking around, trying to pinpoint where Oliver was. "Why is it Roy's?"

"Because he betrayed me. He turned on me, after everything I did for him. That ungrateful bastard is the reason I spent five years rotting in a space prison! And now he'll pay."

"He betrayed you…?" A frown crept across Green Arrow's face. "But- Bu you hurt him! He didn't betray you, he was protecting himself!"

"Is that what he told you? Roy threw away everything I gave him! After all the work I put into molding him, he still decided to betray me. To turn on me and fall in line for the corrupt Justice League. He wanted to believe I was the bad guy. So guess what?" The voice was suddenly louder and Green Arrow froze when a hand unexpectedly gripped his shoulder from behind. "Now I'm the bad guy." Green Arrow reached for the hand, but before he could, the grip tightened. His knees almost buckled from the force. Before he could move, Oliver grabbed the hood of his suit and jerked him back. Green Arrow stumbled off balance, right into the man's grasp. Oliver wrapped a strong hand around the front of his throat and slammed the teen onto the rooftop.

Pain shot down Green Arrow's spine as the wind was knocked from his lungs. He grunted when his head made contact, which quickly turned into a moan. Before he could get up a hard kick landed on his ribs. The suit absorbed some of the blow, but then another kick hit in the same spot. Green Arrow yelped and twisted his body. The next kick missed and he scrambled to his hands and knees, but another kick caught his stomach. Again, the window was knocked from his body, making Green Arrow gasp. It momentarily stunned him long enough for Oliver to kick him in the stomach again. Green Arrow dropped to the ground and instinctively curled into a ball. That didn't stop Oliver though. The man nailed a kick to his head, sending waves of pain down his body. While he was stunned, Oliver grabbed his hood and pulled him to his feet. Green Arrow squired, trying to get out of the grip. He dropped, but that only resulted in Oliver jerking him back to pull him off balance.

Green Arrow finally remembered he could fight back and slammed his foot back. It hit Oliver's foot, but he was wearing thick boots. The attack barely seemed to register as he grabbed Green Arrow's arm. As soon as he let go of the hood, Green Arrow swung around to punch him, but Oliver moved with him. The momentum threw Green Arrow off balance again and Oliver pulled his arm behind his back. "Gah!" he cried out as his arm was wrenched up behind his back. Trying to pull away, he jerked back and forth, but he couldn't pull away. Fiery pain erupted at his shoulder and down the whole right side of his body. "Agh!" His eyes watered and his knees buckled. As soon as Oliver released him, Green Arrow fell to his knees, clutching his dislocated arm to his body with his good one. 'I- I can't shoot! I have to- to get away!' He took a deep breath, then forced himself to his feet.

As soon as he was standing though, Oliver was right in front of him. He stumbled back in shock. There was a mask covering the lower half of his face, so only his eyes were visible. Cold dread dripped through Green Arrow's body at the sigh of the sharp green eyes. The same green eyes he saw in the mirror every day. Except these ones were angry and cold. Icy fury shone in Oliver's eyes as he pulled down the mask. Green Arrow just barely bit back a gasp. His mouth, the shape of his face, his cheeks, even his chin… It was all the same. The shock prevented Green Arrow from processing the fact that Oliver had an arrow nocked to his bow. A second late, the arrow fired and Green Arrow stumbled, just barely managing to stay on his feet. Another arrow was right behind it, so Green arrow turned, trying to dodge. It slammed into his dislocated arm. The pain wretched a scream from Green Arrow's throat. He fell back and his brain scrambled for a plan of escape. Green Arrow rolled onto his stomach, desperately trying to get back on his feet. Oliver grabbed his quiver and dragged him backward.

Panic engulfed Green Arrow's brain and he kicked out at the man. Oliver simply grabbed his ankles, then pulled him over onto his back. "If Roy wants to be my enemy," he said, kneeling next to Green Arrow. "then we'll be enemies." Green Arrow tried to jerk away, but Oliver pulled him back. "I should really thank you, kid. You and that little Speedy are going to be the tools I need to hurt him." Green Arrow tried to move away again, but Oliver quickly got on top of him, straddling the teen. The man's knees were on his arms. pinning them down. Green Arrow grit his teeth against the consuming pain from his injured arm. He jerked around as much as he dared, trying to throw the man off. Oliver simply smiled as he wrapped a hand around his throat. His fingers dug into the soft flesh just under Green Arrow's chin, holding his head still. "What's your name, kid?"

"…G-Green Arrow…"

Oliver threw his head back laughing. "Did Roy call you that, hm? Did he?" The hand pressed down on Green Arrow's trachea, cutting off his air supply. "Come on, Green Arrow. Did he?" Green Arrow shook his head quickly, feet kicking out desperately. "He wouldn't, the coward." Oliver relented on some of the pressure, letting the kid under him breathe. "But I'm curious… Who are you really?"

'No!' Green Arrow thought, panic shooting through him. 'No, no, no, no, no!' The thought of Oliver seeing his face, finding the similarities between them, utterly terrified him. He shook his head desperately from side to side, his last line of defense, but Oliver backhanded him with so much force it knocked his head against the rooftop. Stunned, Green Arrow coughed and his eyes watered. He helplessly flinched when Oliver roughly grabbed his face and turned it back toward him. Oliver reached around his head and untied the mask. Heart pounding in his chest, Green Arrow closed his eyes as the fabric of his mask was pulled away from the sides of his head. For a moment, he was unbearably grateful to Roy for insisting he secure the front part of the mask with spirit gum. His heart stopped when Oliver's finger pried up the edge of his mask. Green Arrow held his breath.

"Fuck!" Oliver swore and suddenly the hand disappeared.

In a matter of seconds, weight disappeared from on top of Green Arrow. Relief flooded him, but he didn't dare move. Whether it was fear or pain, he couldn't even convince his eyes to open. A hand settled on his stomach and he automatically pulled away.

"Hey, Hey," Red Arrow said, his voice calm. "It's ok. It's ok, I'm here. Stay down."

'Roy's here,' Green Arrow thought. The hand moved and he waited several seconds before he opened his eyes. Red Arrow stood over him, one leg on the right side of his body, the other leg on the left side. He was by Green Arrow's legs, an arrow nocked to his bowstring, ready to shoot.

"Stay away from him!"

"You're still the weak-willed bastard you always were," Oliver sneered, pulling his mask back up. "This is your fault."

"I'm giving you one warning, Ollie. Stay away from them. Don't doubt the lengths I would go to for them."

"I'm shaking." Oliver dodged the arrow that was shot at him. "I'll see you around, Speedy."

Red Arrow shot another arrow at Oliver as he left. Even though logically he knew he should go after Oliver, but he couldn't. Without any hesitation, Red Arrow stowed his bow on his back and knelt down. "GA?" he asked quietly. "Are you ok?" His anxiety shot up when he didn't get a verbal response. "Connor? Are you ok?" The teen shook his head. "Is there anything life-threatening?" Besides the obvious arrow in his arm. Another head shake. "Ok. Come on, let's go back." Red Arrow gathered up his protege's weapons, secured both the quiver and bow on his own back, then helped the teen stand. "Let's get you home."

— —

When they got home, Red Arrow immediately helped Green Arrow off the bike, then over to their medbay. As quickly as he could, he took the quivers and bows off, then removed his mask and suit gloves. The whole time, Connor didn't say anything. Worry plagued Roy as he carefully approached the teen. He reached out to take off Connor's mask, but as soon as his fingers touched the teen's face, he jerked back. "Hey, hey, it's ok. It's just me. Do you want to take it off yourself?" Connor shook his head. "Is it ok if I take it off then?" There were a few seconds without a response then Connor nodded. "Ok." As gently as possible, Roy pulled Connor's mask off, trying to ignore the guilt he felt at the teen's obvious discomfort. Once that what he was done, he set the mask aside. "I'm going to numb your arm, then take the arrow out. Ok?" Connor nodded. Taking deep breaths to keep himself calm, Roy gathered his needed supplies. When he turned back to Connor, he swallowed. "I have to cut your suit away from the injury. Try to stay still."

While Roy had cut his suit off himself a couple of times when he'd started out as a solo hero, he'd never had to do it to Connor and Mia before. He did it as quickly as he could while also trying not to jostle Connor's arm. When the suit was removed from his right side, Roy paled. Too much experience informed him that Connor's shoulder was dislocated on this arm as well. He worked past nausea and focused instead on the arrow. Blood soaked Connor's mid-upper arm, all most down to his wrist. "This will pinch." Roy administrated the sedative, then readied his disposable scape while he waited for it to take effect. He aged the arm an experimental poke to confirm Connor wouldn't feel anything, then got to work. Pulling out arrows was never fun, or easy. It required Roy to have tunnel vision for what he was doing so his hands wouldn't shake. Thankfully, the arrow hadn't caused any real damage. Some stitches and a strong bandage would be fine. It would hurt for a while, but Connor would be shooting again in just a few weeks. "Ok, I'm really, really sorry about this, but I have to set your shoulder. Lay down." Connor did as he was told. "This is going to hurt." Roy grabbed Connor's arm, then popped his shoulder back in with one quick motion.

"Ah!" Connor gasped.

"It's ok. Shhh… It's ok. I'll give you some pain medicine when we're done. Just hold on. Can you do that?"

"Mhm…"

"Alright, sit up."

Connor sat up as Roy assess the many, many bruises that dotted the teen's torso. He looked diligently for broken ribs or internal bleeding.

The silence stifled Connor, who sat as still as he could with pain still radiating throughout his body. As time progressed, it became suffocating. Eventually, he sighed quietly. "Go ahead…" he whispered, defeatedly. "Say it."

"Say what?" Roy's response was distracted as he examined the cut on Connor's neck. 'I don't think it needs stitches.' Satisfied the teen wasn't in immediate danger of dying, he turned away to grab an arm sling and pain meds.

"Tell me that you told me so."

Roy froze for a second before he resumed what he was doing. "I'm not going to do that, Connor."

"Why not? You did tell me." Connor's shoulders drooped, his voice dropping in volume. "You tried to warn me."

When Roy turned around, the sight of Connor staring listlessly at the floor made him stop. He sighed, then put the pills directly into Connor's palm. "It's not your fault."

"It is…"

"No, it's my fault."

Connor's head snapped up. "How is it your fault?! I- I shouldn't have run off-"

"You wouldn't have run off if I hadn't…said what I did."

"How did you find me?"

"The trackers in your suit."

"Oh…" Connor took the pills, swallowing them quickly without water. He was quiet as Roy put the sling over his head. "So you're really not going to say I told you so?"

"No, Connor, I'm not."

"But… I was wrong."

"We're all wrong sometimes."

"This seems like a really horrible thing to be wrong about."

"You're not the first person to be wrong about Oliver."

"You tried to warn me though. I should've listened to you."

"Yes, you should've."

A film of tears covered Connor's eyes. "I- I think he wanted to kill me."

'Probably,' Roy thought, his chest constricting at the thought. "But he didn't. You're safe, Connor."

Connor shook his head. "No! No, I'm not!"

"What do you mean?"

"…When- When I was a kid, and I used to have anger issues…my mom…she said I got it from my father."

"Connor-"

"That's why she sent me to the monastery! Because she knew I was like him and didn't want me to be like that!"

Roy shook his head. "Connor. Connor, look at me." He put his hands on the teen's shoulders and leaned down so they were eye to eye. "You are not your father."

"But I could be! My mom said-"

"I doubt she knew the extent of what he was really like when she told you that. If she had, she wouldn't have said it." Roy could tell by the look on the teen's face that he wasn't convinced. "Connor, you are not Oliver. You guys are nothing alike."

"But I-"

"Used to have anger issues. Oliver is driven by anger and revenge. But not you. Connor, you're kind and compassionate. You're observant and understanding. You are a good person, Connor. And you'll be a great hero-"

"What about Kaldur?! He- He was a hero for years but…he became a bad guy!" Connor sobbed. "Even- Even he couldn't prevent becoming a killer because of his father! What chance do I have?"

Roy took a deep breath. "Kaldur made his own choices. Only he could make the decisions he did. Oliver too. Both of them decided to become the people they are. You have the same choice. But I know that you'll make the right one."

"But…what if I don't? What if I make the wrong decisions? I- I don't want you to get rid of me…"

"I'm never getting rid of you, Connor. We're…" Roy swallowed. "We're family. I love you."

"Really?"

Instead of answering, Roy pulled Connor into a hug. For a few seconds, the only sound was Connor crying into Roy's shirt. "Connor, I want you to listen to me, really listen. You are not your father. I have every faith that you will choose to be better than him. And even if you don't, I will still love you. Nothing you do can make me stop loving you."

Connor inhaled a ragged breath. "P- Promise?"

"I promise."

"What if I kill someone?"

A small smile appeared on Roy's lips. "Then I'll come and visit you in prison every week."

Connor sniffed. It was quiet for a few minutes, with him crying quietly into Roy's shirt and the man rubbing his back. Eventually, he was able to calm down. "I'm sorry I ran off."

"I know."

"…Am I still in trouble?"

Roy smiled even more. "Of course you are." He pulled away, gently wiping the tear tracks from Connor's face. "You're grounded for three weeks. No going out and no patrol." He didn't bother mentioning that Connor couldn't go on patrol anyways while he healed. "Fair?"

"Fair."

"Ok. Go change, then we'll head upstairs."

"Mhm."

Roy watched Connor go and waited until the teen was out of sight before he let himself collapse. Cold fear crept through his veins, making him shiver. His brain kept helpfully supplying images of Connor, pinned to the ground by Oliver; helpless against him. 'It's ok,' he thought desperately. 'It- It's ok. It's ok. Connor's safe. He's here, he's ok. He's safe. I was there on time. I saved him.' Even if he had saved Connor, even though Connor was still in one piece, the terror he'd felt in that moment lingered. 'I could've lost him tonight. Oliver would've killed him.' But he didn't Connor was home and he was safe. 'I have to protect them. Connor, Mia, Lian. I have to protect my kids.' And he would. Come hell or high water, he'd keep his kids safe from Oliver. Roy took a deep breath, then forced himself to stand so he could get dressed.

By the time Roy was changed out of his suit, Connor was as well. Even though there was stuff that could be done, Roy took Connor upstairs. Mia was wilting for them in the living room when they got up there. Her head snapped toward the door as they walked in. Without saying anything, she walked over to Connor, then punched him in his good arm.

"Ow!" Connor protested. "What was that for?"

"For being an idiot and running off!" Mia replied angrily. "Don't ever do that again! Lian was worried sick about you!"

"…Lian was?"

"Well…yeah. So was I." She punched his arm again, then hugged him. After a second Connor returned the hug one-handed. Mia leaned in close to whisper in his ear, "If you get yourself killed I'm going to drag out of Nirvana myself. Got that?"

"Mhm…"

"Good." Mia pulled away, then stalked out of the room.

"Why don't you go to bed," Roy suggested, clearly amused.

"Ok." Connor started walking away, but stopped in the doorway and looked back. "Thanks, for…you know…coming to save me."

"I'll always be there to save you, Connor."

"I know."

Roy watched Connor go, then turned around to lock the door of the apartment. 'I'll keep them safe,' he thought as he turned the second deadbolt, then headed for the bedroom to double-check on everyone. 'Oliver won't get anywhere near my kids again. I swear it.'


	50. Prison Break

A/N: Ok, so this is a shorter chapter and just explains how Oliver escaped from space prison. Enjoy!

There was a monotonous life to the Green Lantern prison. Lacking a real sense of time, everything Oliver did was more or less based around his food schedule. When he woke up to the harsh lights— that never turned off— his first meal was already sitting by the door. So, he ate his breakfast of bread, questionable porridge, and water. It had taken some getting used to, but sitting cross-legged on the floor, Oliver barely minded. Eating it every day made the taste nearly unrecognizable. He set the piece of bread aside to snack on throughout the day, then slid the empty tray back through the flap on the bottom of the door. After that, Oliver occupied his time by exercising. The cell wasn't very large, 10 feet long by 6 feet wide, but he utilized the space as well as he could. Push-ups and sit-ups and any other floor exercises he could manage. With no windows, clocks, or anyone to talk to, this as the most he could do to keep himself from going insane. And while Oliver exercised, he thought.

He thought about how Roy had betrayed him.

How the Light had betrayed him.

What it might feel like to knock his former protege from that goddamn moral pedestal he stood on.

Thoughts like these ran through Oliver's head throughout the day as he exercised. He only stopped when it was time to eat dinner— a watery soup and another piece of bread with water— then he showered using the spigot in his cell. When he laid down on his cot to sleep, he finished off his dinner bread, then went to sleep.

Day after day, quickly losing track of the number, Oliver fell into a routine. It was occasionally broken by people coming or going from the prison, but with no way to see into the hall outside his cell, he couldn't be certain. Which is why he didn't immediately pay attention when he heard someone yelling. (The Green Lanterns apparently had a lot of loud enemies.) However, the yelling continued to get louder, closer to his cell. Oliver frowned and got to his feet, eyes narrowing. He heard more shouting and the sounds of blaster fire. Before he could decide what to do about it, the door blasted open. Oliver jumped back as the metal barrier— which hadn't opened since he'd first been thrown in here— fell to the floor. His eyes widened a little when he spotted the small, canon-like weapon pointed at him. Instinctually, he threw himself to the floor. The blast soared over his head and blew a hole through the back wall of the cell.

Oliver felt the heat of the lava that covered the planet nipping at the soles of his bare feet. His body tensed, ready to move if the armored creature shot at him again. However, the creature lowered the weapon and moved on. For a few seconds, Oliver just stared at the open doorway in shock. Then it clicked that he had a chance to at least get out of his cell for a little bit, so he ran. As soon as he left his cell, Oliver was confronted by some kind of a prison break. The doorway to the cells was all blasted open and the hall was filled with creatures from all over the universe fighting each other. Something sparked and a smile crossed Oliver's lips. It'd been a while since he'd had a good fight.

Getting through the melee was tough as inmates attacked each other. They all seemed eager to start hitting anyone they could, seemingly attacking two or three opponents at a time. Oliver threw punches left and right, jumped, and ducking over limbs as he tried to get through. 'This might be my once chance to get out,' he thought as he slammed an alien against the wall, then punched him so hard he dropped to the floor unconscious. 'Whoever came here and orchestrated this breakout…I have to find them.' He wasn't going to blow it. As he worked his way through the fight, trying to keep his limbs attached to his body, he eventually heard the sounds of laser blasts. 'I must be getting close.' There were no signs of the Green Lanterns that guarded the place, so Oliver kept his guard up even as he left behind the worst of the fighting. He put his back to the wall and crept along it, toward the black, armored alien who was blasting the doors open. As he got closer though, he heard voices.

"-good enough," a male voice said. "Several of the inmates have escaped from the building."

"That is good," a female voice replied. "We should head to Earth after this then."

'Earth?!' Oliver thought with a jolt of excitement. 'They're going to Earth?!'

"This mess should be enough to keep the Green Lantern Corps and its Guardians busy for a while," the male voice replied. "At the very least it will draw their attention."

Oliver stepped out from behind the corner. His eyes landed on the two tall, thin aliens standing in the hall. A second later, the creature with black armor pointed its arm cannon at him. Thinking on his feet, Oliver put his hands up by his head. "Don't shoot," he said. "I'm not armed."

"Clearly," the taller of the aliens, the male voice he'd heard, remarked. He gestured condescendingly. "Go rejoin your…fellow inmates. This doesn't concern you."

"You're going to Earth."

"And what concern is it of yours?"

"I'm from Earth. And I- Have friends there."

"How touching. Leave or find out how unpleasant it would be to be disintegrated."

Oliver took half a step back as the arm canon started to power up. "Whatever you want with Earth, I can help. I have powerful friends."

"Powerful?" the female alien asked, putting a hand up. The arm cannon powered down with her gesture. "How powerful?"

"Very powerful. You've heard of the Justice League, right?"

"Of course."

"Well, they're more powerful than the League. They snuck onto their secret headquarters and brainwashed them. That's…how I ended up here. I…volunteered to take the fall to protect my friends and the League imprisoned me here."

"And your friends would be willing to help us?"

"Absolutely!" Oliver held his breath, eyes jumping between the two aliens as they looked at each other. Finally, the male one gestured to the black, armored one, whose hand dropped. Relieved, but still cautious, Oliver slowly lowered his hands.

"Come, Earthling," the alien said. "We must leave before the Green Lanterns send reinforcements."

Anger burned in Oliver's chest at the condescending voice the alien used, but he clamped down on it. 'I can't afford to lose it,' he thought as he followed them, careful where he stepped. 'I just need to get back to Earth, then figure out how to ditch them.' He smiled a little. 'I'm coming back.'

— —

Once on board the ship, Oliver felt a wave of relief. He walked over to a window to look down at the lava-planet below. "Why did you attack this place?" he asked.

"We needed to be sure the Lanterns and Guardians won't be interfering while we…deal, with Earth," the male alien replied. "Technically we have a treaty with them, but when it comes to the self-appointed, intergalactic police, we find it's best to cover all your bases."

"Why are you so interested in Earth?"

"Don't worry about that for now. We will…explain everything to your friends."

'Right." Oliver crossed his arms. 'They're clearly up to something.' Not that he had room to judge since he was also giving them half-truths. 'Besides, it's not my problem, it'll be the League's problem. My only concern is getting even.' His mouth twisted into a smirk. "How long until we reach Earth?"

"A few weeks. We can't arrive there too soon after…this."

'Perfect. I'll have a chance to rest and be ready.' Oliver nodded. "Fine with me. Who are you guys, anyway?"

"We have been known by many names, but you can call us the Reach."

— —

The sight of Earth, in all of it's blue and green glory, made Oliver smile sinisterly. 'I'm back,' he thought victoriously. 'I'm really back.' He was still in his prison clothes and barefoot, but a change of diet helped look slightly less thin.

"Well, Earthling?" the male Reach alien asked him. "How do we make contact with your…friends?"

"…Send me down first," Oliver replied. "I can talk to one of them. Make sure they don't perceive you as a threat."

"Very well."

'Besides,' Oliver thought as he followed his host. 'I have someone to pay a friendly visit to.'

— —

As soon as Lex Luthor opened the door to his office, he frowned. 'That's odd,' he noted, taking in the pitch-black room. 'I don't think I turned the light off when I left.' The dark didn't scare him, but when work kept him at the office well into the night, it was always better to leave his office light on. The last thing he needed was for people to have confirmation he wasn't there. Alarm slightly raised, he flipped the light switch just as he shut the door. Within two seconds, the lights turned on, his eyes spotted the visitor sitting at his desk, and the door slammed shut behind him.

"Miss me, Lex?" Oliver asked with a smile. He was leaning back in Luthor's desk chair, his feet up on the man's desk.

"O-Oliver?" Luthor replied. For the barest seconds, shock registered on his face before he schooled his features. "What are you doing here? Did they let you out on good behavior?"

"Something like that. Surprised to see me?"

"Well, you were dragged off by the Green Lanterns the last we'd heard so…yes."

Oliver's smile dropped into a scowl as he sat up, putting his feet on the ground. "And whose fault is that?"

"Now, Oliver, don't be angry-"

"Angry?!" Oliver stood, slamming his hands onto the desk. He held up a newspaper that had been left there. "I've been gone for five years! Five! Years! I've spent five years of my life, wasting away in an isolation cell! Because of you…"

Luthor rolled his eyes, trying to hide the fear that started picking at his brain. "Technically it was Savage and Klarion who abandoned you. And if I'm not mistaken, it was Roy who captured you in the first place."

"Don't remind me. I've got plans for him, but for now, he'll have to wait for his turn. First, I need to deal with you."

Heat-pounding, Luthor narrowed his eyes. "If anything happens to me, the way the Light will come down on you will make the Green Lantern prison look like a pre-school."

"I'm not going to do anything to you, but I can't say the same for my new friends."

"I'm assuming these…new friends are the reason you escaped. Who might they be?"

"All you need to know right now is they're brave enough and powerful enough to perform a prison break, on the prison run by the Green Lantern Corps." He almost smiled as he watched Luthor doing the calculations in his head.

"What do you want?"

Oliver smiled. 'I'm going to need some equipment. Bows, arrows…and a new suit."

"I'm assuming you'll want it in your traditional color?"

"Actually I've been thinking about a color change. I've had a lot of time to think and plan, so I'm ready for something different. Something that will suit my new…outlook. Something darker."

"Very well. Give me a few days to get everything together."

"Whatever you need."

— —

A week later, Oliver was in Star City. He hadn't bothered to stick around for introductions between the Reach and the Light. As soon as Lex told him his new equipment was ready, he'd brought the ambassador down to Lex Corp, then left. 'I don't care about whatever they're up to,' he thought as he settled down on a rooftop. The black material of his new suit blended into the shadows around him, which he knew would render him invisible to an untrained eye. 'Hopefully, Roy comes by here tonight,' he thought as his eyes scanned the area. 'I have no idea what his patrol routes are, but that's fine. I have all the time in the world now.' As far as Lex knew, there'd been no alarm raised in the hero community about him going missing. 'Which means I'm flying under the radar right now. And it also means that Roy won't be expecting me.' The last thought made him smile. 'Good. If his guard is down and I'm careful, then it'll make my plan that much better.' A figure in red zip-lining off a building across the street caught his attention. Oliver shifted on his feet a little to see better. 'There he is-'

The thoughts stopped dead when he spotted something else.

Right behind Roy, was another, smaller figure. His suit was darker, but as he zip-lined in and out of the proximity of the streetlights, Oliver could make out dark green and red fabric, as well as a quiver on his back.

Then another figure caught his eye. Bright yellow and red popped against the darkness as the cape fluttered weekly behind the smaller archer.

'There are two small archers following him…' Oliver thought. They'd passed his building, so he stood and walked to the edge of the rooftop. He watched as the three archers zip-lined down the street, angling closer and closer to the street each time. A slow smile spread across his lips. "Roy has two sidekicks." There were two, vulnerable, emotional weak points following Roy around when he patrolled. "It's like I'm receiving five years' worth of Christmas and birthday presents in one night." He stayed on the rooftop until the three archers disappeared into the darkness before he followed. It wasn't hard to keep up with them because Roy was following one of their old patrol routes. The irony made Oliver smirk as he knelt on the edge of a building. 'Old habits die hard, huh, kid?' he thought as he watched the vignettes, trying to take note of everything they did.

One of the sidekicks was a boy and one was a girl. The boy's suit was dark green and red. A quick duck under a punch caused the hood of his suit to fall back, revealing short blonde hair. It made Oliver smirk even more. 'Really, Roy? A blonde sidekick dressed in green?' The girl was also blonde, which made Oliver roll his eyes. 'Roy's really got a complex going on here,' he thought. Her hair was pulled back in a braid, keeping it out of her face as she shot. 'The kids aren't bad. They're nowhere near where Roy was at their age, but they're better than most kids would be.' Which was an attribute to Roy's ability as an archer, but Oliver felt his own as well. 'The kid wouldn't shoot half as well as he does if it wasn't for me.' By extension, Roy's sidekicks wouldn't be as good if it hadn't been for Oliver either. 'Not that the little bastard would ever admit that.'

Just by observing them, it seemed obvious how loyal to Roy the two sidekicks were. As they fought, they weren't just watching each others' backs, but Roy's as well. At every opportunity they were shooting or attacking criminals that tried to gain the upper hand on Roy. 'So they're clearly very attached to him. Which, knowing Roy, is something that runs both ways.' His mind flashed back to his confrontation with Roy years ago in Gotham. How easily Roy had given up and thrown down his weapons just to protect Robin. 'He's not as gullible and stupid as he was when he was a kid, but he's still Roy. He'll still do whatever I want to protect those kids. Just like the rest of those…heroes.' Especially with how much Roy had loved the Justice League heroes he'd betrayed Oliver for. 'I still need to be methodical about this though. I need a plan. A good one.' Something inside of him, probably his pride, was still hurt after the way Roy had beat him five years before. 'If I want to take Roy down and put him in his place, then I need a damn good plan.'

So Oliver spent the rest of the night following Roy and his sidekicks around Star City. He made mental notes of everything he could about their fighting style. Throughout the night something else became evident. Oliver realized it as he watched Roy escort victims to their cars or apartments while offering quick checks for injuries. 'That's how I'll get him,' Oliver decided as he retreated to find a place to rest. 'I know exactly how I'll tear him down. Piece by piece.'


	51. Reactions of All Kinds

A/N: Here's the next chapter! The finale starts next week, so I hope everyone is excited for it. Let me know what you think!

It took every ounce of willpower Roy had to ignore his first instincts. The instincts that told him to keep Connor and Mia in the apartment until he'd dealt with Oliver. Knowing his former mentor was out there somewhere, waiting for them, nearly sent him into a panic attack every time he thought about it. Roy managed to keep his composure though, religiously taking his medication and meditating. It felt like every other hour he had to repeat his ground techniques, but he went through them. He had to be at the top of his game. So, when Mia left for therapy like she always did, Roy forced himself to say good-bye and drop Lian off at daycare like he normally did.

'I can't allow the fear of Oliver to control my whole life,' Roy thought while he was at work. 'Ollie's shown no signs that he'll come after us as civilians. He's had ample opportunity to do it, but he hasn't. He knows my name, so it'd be naïve to assume he doesn't know where we live.' He also didn't want Mia and Connor to be too afraid either. 'There's a fine line between being cautious and being overly afraid or paranoid. And I refuse to be on the wrong side of the line. Not this time.'

— —

That afternoon, when Mia turned onto their street, someone stood on the stoop of their building and waved to her. She stopped and analyzed him quickly, but relaxed when she recognized him. "Hey…Jake?" she said.

"Nailed it," Jake replied with a smile. He shoved his hands into his pockets. "You heading home?"

"I am. What're you doing? Waiting for the mail?"

"Not exactly…" Jake bit his lip for second before he continued. "I was kind of hoping to run into Connor. You know as he was…leaving."

Mia smirked a little. "Oh, I get it. Were you just going to wait out here all day?"

"I guess? He hasn't really talked to me since school ended, but I know he likes to volunteer at the library during the summer so…"

"He's been…resting for the past couple of days, but I'll try to encourage him to go tomorrow."

"Thanks, Mia. I appreciate it."

"Of course." Just as he turned away, she called out to him. "Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"What's that necklace you always wear?"

Jake held up the wooden wheel on a gold chain around his neck. "You mean this? It's a dharma wheel."

"A dharma wheel?"

"Yeah, its the symbol of Buddhism. You know, like a cross."

"…You're a Buddhist?"

"I am."

"Does Connor know?"

"Uh… I don't think so. It's never really come up." Jake gave her a curious look. "Why?"

"No reason. Uh, I have to go. See you."

"Bye."

Mia couldn't help but smile as she ran the rest of the way to their building, around the back, then up the stairs to the apartment. "You have to go to the library tomorrow," she told Connor as soon as she entered the living room.

"Why?' Connor asked.

"Because Jake wants to go with you."

"So-"

"So, he's Buddhist!"

Connor's eyes widened a little. "How do you know?"

"I asked about his necklace and he said it was…dharma wheel?"

"…Oh." A bit of excitement bubbled in Connor's stomach. 'He's gay and Buddhist and interested in me…' It was like being handed a potential boyfriend on a silver platter. Only a second later though, one of his injuries twitched and his excitement faded. "I think I'll just…stay home."

"What? Why?"

"Because… I want to. I need to rest so I can get better."

"Connor, you're going to the library. It's not like you're going to be wrestling a bear."

Roy walked in from the kitchen and leaned against the wall. "Good, you're both here. I've been thinking and settled on some ground rules going forward."

"Forward with what?"

"Going forward to keep you busy safe from Oliver." Roy definitely noticed how Connor flinched when said the man's name. "Starting right now, neither of you are to leave the apartment alone. If you go out it's with me or each other. Mia, when you go to therapy Connor will walk you there and walk you home."

"But…Mia can handle herself just walking home," Connor said. "I- I don't really have to go get her…do I?"

"You do because using the buddy system will give me peace of mind without keeping you two locked in the apartment all summer."

"What about Lian?"

"I still want her to go to daycare so she can socialize with kids her own age." Roy didn't miss the look of discomfort that remained present on Connor's face. "It'll be fine, Connor. Buddy system."

"What about patrol?" Mia asked. "Are we still allowed to go?"

"Yes, but…no more going off alone. You won't be more than a block from me at most. Understand?"

"Yes."

"Connor?"

"Got it," Connor replied quietly, staring at his book.

"Good. On that note, can you two pick-up Lian from daycare while I start dinner?"

"Absolutely! Come on, Connor." Mia went to the door and looked back, expecting Connor to be right behind her; or at least getting his shoes on. But he was still on the couch. "Connor, let's go."

Connor swallowed the anxiety that sparked under his skin. It made his stomach churn. 'But I don't want Roy or Mia to think I'm afraid or weak,' he thought. So, he took a deep breath and forced himself to stand. 'I don't want to be the weak link in our team.' He slipped his shoes on, which had been pre-tied by Mia a couple days ago, then followed her out of the apartment. The anxiety wasn't was as bad while they were in the building, but once they were outside, it doubled in intensity. Connor swallowed and took a step closer to Mia when they were on the street.

"Uh…Connor," she said. "You're in my bubble."

"…Sorry." There was a moment of hesitation, but Connor knew he couldn't make Mia uncomfortable by being too close, so he stepped away. 'Calm down. There's no reason to be so nervous. It's fine. Mia's less than a foot from you. Just…calm down." He wished he was better at walking meditation. 'I can meditate when I get home.' It was only a 15-minute walk to Lian's daycare, but it felt like an hour to Connor. He barely said a word as Mia signed Lian out, then strapped her into the stroller. Connor focused on his breathing and stared at the ground until they were home. As soon as they walked into the apartment, he locked himself in his bedroom to meditate.

Settling down into the mediation was like a warm hug. Connor felt instantly calmer and more secure. He mediated until Mia knocked on his door for dinner. For a few seconds, Connor just sat on his meditation cushion, staring at the carpet. 'I can come back and meditate after dinner. Just to make sure I'm calmed down.' He took a deep breath, then left his bedroom. Everyone was already at the table when he walked into the kitchen, so he sat down and started eating.

"Hey, Connor, want to go for a walk after dinner?" Mia asked in between bites of pasta.

"No," Connor replied quickly. "I'm…my arm and side hurts. I'd rather just meditate on the pain."

"Ok."

"Do you want some pain meds?" Roy asked, clearly concerned.

"N-No. It's fine, Roy. They don't hurt that much. It'll just be…good practice."

"Ok. You know where it is if you change your mind."

"I know." Connor finished his dinner quickly, then retreated back to his bedroom. He locked the door again, then sat on his meditation cushion. 'I just have to stay inside and keep meditating. I'll feel better if I stay inside and just keep meditating.'

— —

That night, Mia was up past her bedtime, secretly watching tv, when she heard something. The volume of the tv was turned down low, so she wouldn't get caught, so the sound wasn't difficult to hear. She frowned and hit mute on the remote. For a few seconds, she didn't hear anything but silence. Then she heard it again. 'Who's crying?' Mia got to her feet, then tip-toed to her bedroom door. It was opened a crack, so she pulled it open more, leaning out from the doorframe a little bit. She heard another sob and her eyes narrowed on Connor's half-open door. 'That's weird…'

As quiet as possible, Mia crossed the hall between their rooms. She eased Connor's door open farther. At first glance, it seemed like he was sleeping peacefully, but then he tossed in his blankets. When he sobbed again, Mia crept even closer. From this close up, she could just barely see the tear tracks on his face. She swallowed, then reached out to rub his shoulder. "Connor?" she whispered. "Connor?" It barely seemed to register as Connor sobbed again and rolled away. Mia leaned closer to shake his arm. "Connor, wake up. Wake up. Connor-"

"Huh?!" Connor gasped as his eyes popped open. In a moment of confusion, all his brain saw was someone in the dark, leaning over him and he screamed. His body scrambled back against the headboard of his bed.

"Whoa, whoa! It's me!"

The light turned on and both teens looked tow and the doorway. "Is everyone ok?" Roy asked, eyes scanning them.

"Everything's fine," Connor reassured him quickly. "Mia scared me is all."

"What're you doing here, Mia?"

"I heard Connor-" she began but was cut off.

"I'm fine. I'm fine, Roy," Connor reassured him. "She must've misheard."

Roy opened his mouth, but as soon as he did Lian's crying reached them. He sighed, resting his head against the doorframe. For a second, Connor and Mia could see the lines of exhaustion carved into his body. Then Roy stood and it was gone. "Are you sure you're fine?"

"I am. Everything's ok."

"Alright. Back to bed."

"Mhm," Mia nodded. As soon as Roy left, however, she turned to Connor. "What's going on?"

"What do you mean?"

"You were crying in your sleep, I could hear you from my room."

Connor sighed and his head dropped. He stared at his blankets. "Sorry I bothered you."

"You didn't bother me, but I was worried-"

"I'm…really tired. Can you leave?"

Mia hesitated for a few seconds before she stepped back from his bed. "Ok. Night."

"Night."

'He didn't even say please,' she thought as she left, closing the door behind her. 'Connor always says please. He's so weirdly polite.' She glanced back at the doorknob, but eventually let go and went back to her own room.

Meanwhile, Connor curled into a ball under his blankets. He took several deep breaths to calm down before he closed his eyes and tried to force himself to go back to sleep.

— —

Over the next week, Mia became more and more suspicious about Connor being 'ok'. Every morning he didn't emerge from his bedroom until she forced him to and retreated there again until lunch. Mia quickly figured out no amount of talking, begging, or threatening could get him out. So, after a failed lunch, Mia moved on. She tried to convince Connor to go to the library. Which went the same way every day.

"Hey, Connor, why don't we go to the library?"

"No, thanks, Mia."

"Are you sure? I know Roy says we need to utilize the buddy system, so I don't mind going with you."

"I don't want to."

"But it could be good to get out-"

"Leave me alone, Mia!"

So Mia left Connor to brood in his room every day. Even offering pain meds couldn't get him to open the door. Connor wouldn't leave his room until dinner, where he ate fast, then retreated back to his bedroom. To add to Mia's frustration, the door was always locked, so she couldn't just go into the room and drag him out. After several days, she considered bringing up Connor's strange behavior with Roy, but the obvious stress lines on his face and the bags under his eyes made her hesitate. The situation with Oliver obviously had him stressed out, and she didn't want to consciously add to it. However, when Connor's behavior continued for over a week and a half, she decided that not telling Roy was more dangerous than telling him.

"Hey, Red," Speedy said as she joined her mentor at the edge of a building. She hesitated for a few seconds.

"Is there more to that thought?" Red Arrow asked teasingly as he surveyed the block below them with his binoculars.

"I- I think there's something wrong with…GA."

Red Arrow frowned and lowered his binoculars. "What do you mean?"

"He's been acting really…weird. Especially for him."

"Weird how?"

Speedy hesitated for a moment before she continued. "That night I was in his room…he'd been crying in his sleep. I heard him in my bedroom. He never eats lunch. I can barely get him out of his room to eat breakfast and he stays in there all day. And I've been trying to get him to go to the library, but he keeps saying he doesn't want to go. Which is really weird because he loves volunteering there during the summer. And…he just won't talk to me. It's- It's so weird. I've never seen him act like this and I don't know what to do about it-"

"Speedy, breathe." Red Arrow rested his hand gently on her shoulder. "It's ok. I'll talk to GA when we get home. I'm sure it's nothing. He might just be moody after being benched for so long."

"Ok." A weight lifted from Speedy's shoulders and she turned back to their patrol.

The same couldn't be said for Red Arrow though. Something cold slowly wrapped itself around his heart as he replayed their conversation in his head. 'Something's clearly wrong with Connor,' he thought. While he went through the motions of looking through the binoculars, but he wasn't really seeing anything. 'And I have a feeling I know exactly what it is.' Guilt wove itself around his lungs and stomach. 'I'll talk to Connor as soon as we get home.' Thankfully, the patrol was quiet (almost unusually quiet if Roy hadn't been so focused on Connor) and they were able to head home earlier than usual. Trying to be quick, but not so quick that it would concern Mia, Roy changed out of his suit and made his way up to Connor's room. When he stood outside the teen's room he hesitated before knocking on the door.

"Come in," Connor said.

Roy entered and found the teen in his meditation alcove. He approached slowly and sat on the ground. "Am I interrupting something important?"

"Not really…" There was an awkward moment of silence. "Did you need something?"

"Yeah…um… Mia says you've been acting really weird lately. Hiding in your room, not eating-"

"I'm fine."

Roy flinched. "You're not."

"I am-"

"I know that 'I'm fine'. You're not. Something's upsetting you and I think I know what is it." Roy waited a few seconds, studying Connor's face. The teen stayed silent though; staring at the ground and holding his feet. "You need to talk to me, Connor. I'm here to help."

"There's nothing to talk about Roy… I- I'm fine…"

"Are you?"

"I am! I- I have to be."

Roy frowned. "Why do you have to be ok?"

"Because…I don't want to be the weak link."

"You're not the weak link, Connor."

"But I could be!" Connor swallowed and focused completely on the carpet in front of him as he talked. "Oliver is the type of person who goes after the weak link. He'll find the weakest person on our team and use them to hurt you. I- I don't want to be that person."

"Why would you think that you are?"

"How can I not be?! He already attacked me! I-" Connor swallowed. "I have nightmares Roy and- In them…I always freeze. Oliver's there and he's hurting you and MIa. I have my bow and quiver but…I can't shoot. I'm too scared." He glanced up at Roy, then quickly back at the floor. "I'm just…so afraid, Roy. I'm sorry."

Roy grabbed Connor's hands and held them firmly between his own. "Connor, look at me." He waited until the teen looked him in the eye. "It's ok to be afraid. In fact, I'd be more concerned if you weren't at least a little afraid of Oliver after what happened. But that doesn't make you weak. I would know."

"But you're different! You're not afraid of him anymore."

The statement made Roy smile a bit. "You want to know a secret? I'm always afraid of Oliver." There was a look of shock on Connor's face. "It's not as bad as it was when I was younger, because I've reached a point where the fear from my trauma doesn't control my life anymore. At least, I try not to let it."

"How do you do that?"

"Well, …years of therapy. But I also try to remember there are more important things I need to do. Like taking care of you guys and protecting Star. It's part of learning to be a hero. There's always going to be a bad guy that scares you, Connor, and I guarantee more than one of them will beat you in a fight. But you can't let that stop you from going out there and protecting people. Don't give Oliver space in your head. Trust me, it's not fun."

"I- I'll try."

Roy smiled gently. "You're a good kid, Connor. We need to take precautions, but that doesn't mean hiding all summer. Got it?"

"I'll try."

"Why don't you start tomorrow by going to the library."

"…Ok."

"You don't sound thrilled about that."

Connor hesitated for a second as he pulled his hands away. "There's this boy who lives across the street. He- He wants to go to the library with me."

"Ahh, I see. And do you want to go to the library with him?"

"…Sort of."

"Then you should."

"But- What if he gets to know me and he doesn't like me?"

"I highly doubt that will happen. You're a great guy and if your…friend has any sense, he'll see that. I promise."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. Now get to bed. If the nightmares bother you too much, don't hesitate to find me."

"I won't. Night, Roy."

"Night, kid."

— —

The next day, Connor took his time getting ready to leave. He carefully picked out his clothes (and unhappily decided on a green t-shirt and dark jeans) which wasn't made easier by needing Mia's help to remove his sling and put it back on. He hesitated by the door when he was slipping his sneakers on, but Mia gently nudged him. Connor rolled his eyes, but slipped his feet in, then followed her out the door. They exited the building through the backdoor, as usual, then circled around to the street. As soon as they reached the sidewalk, Connor spotted Jake across the street. He swallowed as the other boy approached them.

"Hey, Connor," Jake greeted with a smile. His eyes processed the sling and his smile shrank a little. "What happened to your arm?"

"Oh…nothing," Connor replied evasively. "Just…things got out of hand."

"Doing what?"

"…Sparring with Mia."

"You guys spar?"

"We do."

"I never pegged you as a martial arts guy. You seem more like the…sitting down quietly type."

"I…have a lot of surprises."

Jake chuckled. "I hope so."

"We're…uh…heading to the library if you want to join us."

"I'd love to. Maybe you could show me some of your favorite books?"

"Yeah… I- I'd like that." The group started walking down the street. Connor immediately noticed how Mia slipped ahead of them, giving him and Jake some space. He glanced at the other teen nervously. "So…do you like reading?"

"…Depends on the book, I guess. To be honest, the only quiet activities I can handle on a daily basis are meditations."

"That's…great." Excitement bubbled in Connor's stomach, causing him to reach out and grab Jake's hand. It happened before he could think about it too carefully. His breath caught in his throat, certain Jake would pull away. That didn't happen though. Jake gave him a smile, then intertwined his fingers tighter with Connor's. 'I think I'm going to really enjoy summer vacation this year.'


	52. The Summit

A/N: Sorry, for the lack of update last week, but this is it, folks! The beginning of the finale! Read on and enjoy!

"I need your help," Dick said.

"Good to hear from you too, bro," Roy laughed as he carefully connected two wires in his trick arrow.

"I'm serious. I need your help."

"What's up?"

"We're bringing down the Light."

Roy froze, then looked down at his phone. "Really? You're bringing the Light down…for good?"

"We are. You want in?"

"Of course." The thought of Kaldur was pushed from Roy's mind almost immediately. No matter his complicated feelings for his ex, Roy knew he couldn't pass up the opportunity to bring down a secret, evil organization. "Where and when?"

"Santa Prisca, two nights from now. I'll send you more specific info tomorrow."

"Sounds like a plan."

"Later, bro."

Roy hung up, then spun around in his chair. As soon as he did though, his stomach dropped a little. He'd completely forgotten Connor and Mia were there, sharpening arrows. "How much of that did you guys hear?"

"All of it," Mia replied with a mischievous grin.

"Great. So…you guys will be ok while I'm gone-"

"We want to come too!"

Roy closed his eyes for a second. "No-"

"Why not?!"

"It's dangerous-"

"Everything we do is dangerous!" Mia looked at Connor. "Help me out here."

"It's just one mission," Connor added quietly. "Plus we'll be there with you and Nightwing's team. There'll be plenty of back-ups if something goes wrong."

'But it's The Light. It'll be more dangerous than anything I've had them do before. Not to mention there'll be no way to keep my family from finding out Connor is Oliver's son. Which will be a lot harder now that Oliver is back.' But, it was kind of appealing. Having his reliable kids there, bringing down evil with them…it would be amazing. Roy let out a long sigh. "If I let you come— if—" he emphasized when the two teens leaned forward eagerly. "then there will be some strict rules you have to follow."

"Like what?"

"Well…for starters, you won't go anywhere without my permission. We stay together as a team. And you two will never leave each others' side. You also won't tell anyone your real identities. Not even to the Bats." This was a conversation meant for the Bat Cave when he had time to go over all of it.

"But…we can go?"

Roy studied their eager faces for a few moments before sighing again. "Yes, you can go."

"Woo!" Mia cheered as she and Connor jumped to their feet. They high-fived and practically jumped up and down.

"We're going to save the world!"

"Like real heroes!" Connor added.

"Vigilantes are- Never mind," Roy muttered as he tried not to smile at how excited they were.

"What're we going to do with Lian?"

"…Let me worry about that. Why don't you guys practice your shooting? You need to be on top of your game for this mission." He watched them sprint to their quivers and bows with a smile. 'They're ready. And they've been working really hard. They deserve this chance to do something important. Plus, it'll make them so happy.'

— —

Two nights later, Red Arrow had just finished packing a bag for Lian. He thought as he put her favorite stuffed bat in, then zipped the bag shut. "Are you ready to go, baby girl?" Red Arrow turned around to see Lian grabbing unhappily at the shoes he'd put on her. "I know, shoes are no fun. I promise you can take them off in a little bit." He swung the bag onto his shoulder, then picked her up. Her tiny fingers tapped his mask and he smiled. "I know, Daddy looks weird right now. Maybe someday I'll tell you all about my secret-second life. For now, though, I need you somewhere safe and taken care of. Come on."

They went down to the Arrow Cave, where Green Arrow and Speed where filling the quivers. An activity that normally took them 15 minutes between the two of them and been going on for almost an hour. They'd been insistent on the choice of arrows and to be perfect and the spread between the three of them needed to be perfected for the mission. It was endearing to see them obsessing for their first big mission. 'Depending on how this goes, maybe I'll let them join the Team,' Red Arrow thought as he approached. 'If they do well tonight, they've more than earned it.' He cleared his throat to get their attention. "Are you guys finished?"

"Is Lian coming on the mission with us?" Speedy asked.

"No. She's staying with…someone in Gotham."

"Family?"

"…Sure." Red Arrow nodded his head at the quivers. "Are we all set?"

"We are," Green Arrow replied. "The quivers are fully stocked with arrows."

"Good." Red Arrow waited while the younger archers put their quivers on, then handed Lian to Green Arrow so he could put his own quiver on. "We're dropping her off in Gotham, then meeting Nightwing at the rendezvous point."

"You never said how we were getting to Gotham."

Red Arrow took Lian back with a smile. "You'll see. If you guys are ready let's go." Quiver and bow both safely stored on his back, he went over his bike; his two sidekicks right behind him. Very carefully, Red Arrow got on his bike and adjusted his grip on Lian so he was holding her against his chest. 'She'll be fine. We're only going a few blocks anyways.' Besides, it couldn't be child endangerment anymore than letting his two teenagers take down supervillains. A quick glance behind him told Red Arrow that Green Arrow and Speedy were ready, so he started his bike and they drove out of the Arrow Cave. 'I can't wait to show them the zeta tube,' he thought as they drove through the dark city. 'It'll blow their minds.' He led them down the narrow alley, then stopped just long enough to undo the combination lock holding a chain-link gate closed. They drove through it and he took the time to close it again. They were in a narrow back alley between two buildings, with no windows, and an old telephone booth at the end. Red Arrow stopped his bike and turned it off. "We're here."

"What is here?" Speedy asked as she and Green Arrow got off his bike. "It's just an alley."

"Is it? Hmm…" Red Arrow let them to the telephone booth. He pulled open one of the panels on the door to reveal the zeta tube controls. Feeling very grateful that he still remembered Batman's override codes, he set it to allow Green Arrow, Speedy, and Lian through. "Alright, just open the door and step through." He smiled a little when Green Arrow and Speedy just looked at each other. "Guys, trust me. I'm serious."

"Ok," Green Arrow replied. As the more senior sidekick, he decided to be the brave one. Just as Red Arrow instructed, he pulled the door of the phone booth open, then stepped through the opening. A feeling like being a cold shower washed over him and he gasped. A tingling sensation shot down his nerves as he stepped- out into a city. Almost immediately, he had to duck to get under a piece of a fence.

"Green Arrow, A-14," a disembodied voice said.

"Whoa…"

"Speedy, A-15."

Green Arrow turned around to see Speedy stumbling out. He darted forward to catch her before she could fall on her face. "You ok?" he asked.

"That was freaking weird," she replied quietly.

"Totally."

"Red Arrow, B-04," the voice said. "Baby Arrow, A-16."

Red Arrow slipped out of the fence like it was second nature. He gave the teens a smile. "Have fun?" he asked.

"What was that?" Green Arrow asked.

"Zeta tube. Instant teleportation the League and Team use."

"…Sweet," the teens whispered at the same time. They looked around.

"So…this is Gotham?"

"Sure is," Red Arrow replied. "Come on. The place we're looking for isn't far. And stick to the shadows." He led them through the city, staying close to the alleys and trying to take side streets when possible. When they were within a block of their destination, he held up a hand to stop them. "Stay here ad hide. Don't come out until I come back."

"Got it," Speedy replied. They ducked into the alley, kneeling down to hide near a dumpster.

Red Arrow nodded to himself, then continued. He quickly found the building he was looking for and climbed the fire escape. Moving as silently as possible, he went to a window a knelt down. There was a moment of hesitation before he rapped his knuckles against the glass. Inside, Paula Crock's head snapped toward him. Red Arrow held his breath as he waited. After a few seconds, she gave him a nod and he opened the window. "Evening," he said as he slipped inside.

"What do you want?" Paula asked him.

"I need you to do me a favor." Red Arrow held out Lian and instantly the harshness in Paula's face softened.

"So you're the father."

"I am."

Paula took Lian in her arms. "Guess Jade wasn't lying when she said the father was a good man."

Red Arrow ignored the stab of pain in his heart at the mention of Jade. "I need you to watch her for a day. Maybe two. I have something to do-"

"It's fine. I'd love to spend time with her."

"I'm glad. Everything's in her bag." Red Arrow set the bag on the ground, then crouched to kiss his daughter on the head. "Bye, baby girl. Be a good girl for Daddy. I'll see you in a couple days." He stood, then looked at Paula. "Thank you."

"Go save the world, hero."

Trying not to smile at the familiar nickname, Red Arrow left the apartment, taking care to shut the window behind him. 'She's in good hands,' he thought as he jogged to rejoin Green Arrow and Speedy. 'Paula will take care of her. I know she will.' When he reached the alley where he'd left the teens, they stepped out of their hiding spot to greet him. "Ready to rendezvous?"

"Where are we going?" Speedy asked.

"You'll see." Red Arrow pulled a grapple arrow from his quiver and shot it at the rooftops. He smiled at the familiar sensation of gliding to a Gotham rooftop. A few seconds after he landed he heard the telltale sounds of smaller boots on the roof. As soon as he did, he took off running. Not so fast that Green Arrow and Speedy wouldn't be able to keep up, but fast enough that it gave him familiar fluttery feelings in his stomach. He used the zip-line arrows to cross wide streets but kept them up near the rooftops. The familiar sights and sounds of Gotham were refreshing and calming. Red Arrow led them across the city, higher and higher until they finally landed on the roof of the building they were looking for.

"Where are we?"

"Wayne Enterprises."

'Wonder if this…Wayne guy has anything to do with Roy's fake, legal name.' Speedy looked at Green Arrow and could tell he was thinking the same thing. Feeling antsy, the two of them wandered around on the rooftop, admiring the city below them. They didn't say anything, merely elbowing each other to get the others' attention and point at something. Looking at the city captured their attention so much that it took them a minute to realize they were no longer alone. Speedy froze and her hand dropped to grab Green Arrow's wrist. They shared a look and nodded. Someone was on the rooftop talking to Red Arrow. As silently as possible, the two young vigilantes snuck across the rooftop to where they'd left Red Arrow. They stopped next to a metal structure and dropped into kneeling positions.

"—can take that south exit there," Red Arrow said as he pointed to something on a hologram. The angle didn't let them see who he was talking to.

"Are you sure you don't want to be in the action more?" the person replied.

"We'll be seeing plenty of action, don't worry.."

"…We?"

Green Arrow nudged Speedy and they grinned at each other. Without waiting, they spring from their hiding spot. As soon as they stepped out of the shadows, they spotted the person talking to Red Arrow. It was a man, just a few years younger than their mentor, in a black suit with a blue bird on his chest. The man's face immediately registered his surprise and he took a defensive step back.

"It's ok, 'Wing," Red Arrow told him. "They're with me."

"Who are they?" a voice from above asked. Green Arrow and Speedy looked up. On the metal structure above them, two figures looked down from their perch. The two figures jumped to the roof. One was a teenaged boy in dark red and green, while the other was a young woman in black with a cowl that looked a lot like Batman's.

"They're…my partners."

"Since when do they have sidekicks?" the girl asked, crossing her arms.

"…A while. Look, they're with me and I vouch for them. We can do the explanation thing after the mission."

"Fine," the man in black agreed. He smiled at the younger archers. "I'm Nightwing. That's Robin and Batgirl."

'So these are Roy's siblings,' Green Arrow thought, surveying them. Huh. They don't seem so scary.' Then again, the way Robin and Batgirl had spied on them for several minutes without any detection was a little concerning.

"Are we ready?" Red Arrow asked.

"The Bio ships ready," Nightwing replied. "We'll drop you three at the access point near the exit. Stay hidden until you see the signal."

"What's the signal?" Speedy asked eagerly.

Nightwing gave her an amused smile. "You'll know the signal when you see it. Let's go."

Robin and Batgirl followed him right away, with Red Arrow right behind them. He'd only gone a few steps though when he glanced back. "Come on guys," he said to Green Arrow and Speedy. "Let's go."

The younger archers looked at each other for a few seconds before they followed. Red Arrow led them to the edge of the building. By the time they got there, Nightwing, Robin, and Batgirl jumped off the edge. "What-" Green Arrow began, but Red Arrow shook his head.

"You guys trust me, right?" he asked.

"Of course."

"Then stay quiet and follow me." Red Arrow stepped up onto the edge of the rooftop, then jumped.

Green Arrow looked at Speedy. "Ready?" All he got was a nod in reply. "Ok." He took a deep breath, then jumped. As soon as he did, he saw the circle below him. He landed inside something and stumbled out of the way just in time for Speedy to join. They looked up to see the circle hatch above them closed.

"You guys ok?" Red Arrow asked the question in a whisper. Both teens nodded. "Good. Come on." He sat with his back against the wall. Green Arrow and Speedy settled on either side of him. 'It'd be great to sit in the main part of the bioship, but a smooth drop off is more important.' Red Arrow took a deep breath. 'Let's take down the Light.'

— —

"We're approaching your drop point," Nightwing said over the comms. "Get ready."

"Understood," Red Arrow replied. He stood and gestured for Green Arrow and Speedy to do the same. "When we drop stay close and keep your guard up. Watch each others' backs."

"We will," Green Arrow replied.

"Come on." A hatch opened below them and Red Arrow jumped without hesitation. He somersaulted when he landed; the soft thuds behind him told him his partners had landed safely as well. There was no time to wait, so Red Arrow led them into a nearby cave.

The three archers moved silently through the short tunnel. Red Arrow stopped at the mouth of the large cavern and dropped down to one knee. His eyes swept over the people inside, taking note of everyone there. The presence of Ra's and Savage wasn't surprising, neither was Black Manta. Seeing the Reach Ambassador, who Red Arrow was only familiar with from seeing him on tv, was surprising, but he rolled with it. However, when he saw Kaldur, his heart stopped. Something sharp stabbed at his chest, but he forced himself to ignore it. 'You should've known he would be here,' he told himself mentally. 'It only makes sense.' As obvious as it was, it didn't make him feel any better about the prospect of fighting and arresting his ex-boyfriend.

'He's the bad guy now,' Red Arrow reminded himself mentally. 'Kal… Kal is the bad guy and I'm the good guy. This is what happens.' He focused on the conversation below to take his mind off Kaldur.

"-the Light has provided everything you Reach require," Black Manta said, "and you aliens let it all slip away."

"I don't believe this is a productive direction for our discussion," the Reach ambassador replied. The tone of his voice was perfectly calm. Almost too calm for someone disagreeing with some of Earth's worst villains.

"No?" Ra's asked. "Your public approval ratings are at a record low. As are sales of the Reach drink, with which you had hoped to enslave the populace."

'I knew it was a good idea to ban Connor and Mia from drinking those,' Red Arrow thought.

"You allowed the young heroes you kidnapped to be rescued by the very teenagers whose metagenes you enhanced," Savage said.

"After allowing their escape as well," Black Manta added.

"Most of all," Kaldur said, his voice sending waves of ache through Red Arrow's heart. "Blue Beetle and Green Beetle have slipped from your grasp and they have fallen into the hands of the enemy. The Justice League." It took every ounce of willpower Red Arrow had not to wince at the casual way Kaldur referred to his former friends and allies as 'the enemy'.

"Rest assured," the reach ambassador replied. "both beetles will soon be returned to the fold. In fact, Black Beetle has been summoned to Earth from his post, guarding access to the key chamber on the Warworld."

"To kill blue and green," Black Beetle growled.

"So that their scarabs may be reset and installed upon new host bodies," the other Reach alien explained. "that will forever be slaves to the Reach."

"So do not question us on that score, or any other," the Reach ambassador told the Light members; his voice now finally raised a bit. "Remember, the Earth is now the property of the Reach. And per our original agreement, the Light is merely our favorite agents amongst the humans."

"Show the proper respect," Black Beetle added. "Or suffer the consequences."

"No agreement exists that makes a slave of Black Manta," Manta said as he approached the Reach ambassador. His helmet was off, so it didn't look like he intended to fight, but Red Arrow's muscles tensed all the same.

"No agreement exists that guarantees the life of Black Manta." As he spoke, Black Beetle walked closer so he and Manta were inches from each other.

"Manta guarantees that himself." A shoulder gun popped up on Black Manta's armor. A second later though, a much bigger canon opened up on Black Beetle's chest.

"It seems we have a standoff," Ra's commented, his tone so calm it was almost blasé.

"No," Black Beetle replied. "We don't." Faster than anyone could stop him, he back-handed Black Manta. Red Arrow couldn't help but wince as the villain flew across the cavern. As soon as he hit the ground, Deathstroke and a woman in orange jumped into action. They attacked Black Beetle with their swords. He dodged and stopped their first few attacks, then Deathstroke managed to stab a sword into the canon on his chest. Black Beetle roared and attacked him. The Reach ambassadors began backing away as their soldiers fired on the Light. The woman in orange blocked one of the laser blasts with her sword, only to fall back into Ra's. A few words were exchanged, but Red Arrow couldn't make them out above the commotion. She fired arrows from a gun-like weapon at the soldiers.

'Arrows?' Red Arrow thought with a frown. With the fight escalating, his muscles were tensed and ready for action. 'That's a strange weapon… If she's proficient with a sword why would she need that?' His curiosity only deepened when a familiar foam hardened around the soldiers. It drew his attention completely away from the fight between Deathstroke and Black Beetle. 'That's too big of a coincidence. That can't know how to do that. Unless… Did Kaldur-' His thought was caught off by a momentary lack of movement in the background. Red Arrow redirected his attention and was surprised to find, instead of Deathstroke, Black Manta paired off with Black Beetle; and Kaldur standing in between them.

"Stop!" Kaldur ordered in an all too familiar tone. "Are allies, not enemies. Any conflict between us only benefits our true opponents. The Justice League and their sidekicks."

"Kaldur'ahm is right," Savage said.

"Agreed," the Reach ambassador replied. We must not allow petty disagreements to divide us." He looked at Kadlur. "Gratitude, Kalddur'ahm. Stand down, warrior."

"Ambassador-" Black Beetle began, but he was interrupted.

"Stand. Down."

There was a shot staring match between them, but in the end, Black Beetle walked away. He shot his canon at the hardened foam that held the Reach soldiers, freeing them.

Kaldur turned to Black Manta, who nodded and walked away as his shower gun retracted. "Should we not be concerned that Superman, Batman, the Lanterns, and the rest will soon return to Earth?" he asked.

'Batman's coming home soon?!' Red Arrow thought excitedly. 'That's great!'

"They will once again sway public opinion to their side."

"Superman and those accused with him will never leave, Rimbor," Savage replied. "The attack we forced them to lead on that world, plus a few well-placed bribes, has guaranteed their convictions."

'That doesn't sound good,' Red Arrow thought with a wince.

"And the Green Lanterns are forbidden by our treaty from returning to Earth," the Reach ambassador added. "Now that we've…convinced UN Secretary Tseng to welcome us here."

"It also helps that we laid waste to one of their prisons," the other Reach alien added.

"You attacked a Green Lantern prison?" Kaldur asked with a frown.

"We did," the ambassador confirmed. "That was where we found and returned your ally…Green Arrow." A shiver went through Red Arrow at the revelation, but he tightened his grip on his bow to keep himself still. "As for public opinion, I wouldn't be concerned. Though the tide has turned to a certain degree, it will be a simple matter build upon the foundation of half-truths we've already used to discredit the League." As he talked Ra's approached the woman in orange. "And if we…discredit…them…"

Red Arrow's eyes narrowed behind his mask as he studied Ra's. 'Something's wrong,' he thought. 'The ambassador is clearly confused. There's something not right.' His suspicion heightened when Ra's snatched the pendant off the woman's neck. A glowing light flashed over her and when it was gone Red Arrow had to physically bite his lip, hard enough to draw blood, to keep himself from gasping. 'Artemis?!' he thought desperately. 'That- But she's- What the fuck is going on?!'

"Artemis," Savage growled.

"I don't understand," the ambassador said. "I thought Artemis was dead?!"

'You and me both, pal,' Red Arrow thought, still feeling shocked and confused. 'This does make any sense…'

"So did we all," Savage replied. "but it seems Tigress is Artemis."

"This is a glamor charm," Ra's explained holding the pendant up. "Created, I'd wager, by Zatanna and Fate, to hide Artemis' true identity."

"But…Kaldur'ahm killed Artemis," the ambassador insisted calmly. A second later, his eyes narrowed. "If she lives…and in disguise as his lieutenant…then that means…"

"That means," Black Beetle picked up, "Aqualad duped them all. Including his own father."

The words washed over Red Arrow, but it took his brain a second to process it. 'Kal- He- No… No…he- he wouldn't…' Cold dread slowly slithered and wrapped its way up to his internal organs like a python. 'Kaldur what the hell did you do?!'

"Kill them both." Black Beetle unsheathed two swords on his arms, but Black Manat ran forward.

"No!" he yelled, stepping between Kaldur and Black Beetle. "You will not kill my son!

"He's right," Deathstroke said. As soon as he finished talking, Kaldur dropped to the ground with a gasp. Artemis dropped right after him, blood blooming on her chest. "The Light takes care of its own."

The air was sucked out of Red Arrow's chest. His arms shook as his eyes darted from Artemis' still form to Kaldur's, lying in his father's arms. Then something blue caught his vision in the corner of his eye. Red Arrow turned his head and his mouth opened in shock. It was a hologram of Kaldur.

"If you are watching this," the hologram said, "then your summit is truly over. The Light and the Reach deserve each other. Both sides playing at being partners. But the Reach believes the Light to be their naïve tools of conquest, when in fact the Light has manipulated the Reach from day one."

"Stop this oaf," Savage told Deathstroke.

"How?" the mercenary replied.

A holographic screen, like the ones they'd often used in the Cave, appeared next to hologram-Kaldur's head. "It was the Light that brought Earth to the Reach's attention, by sending the Justice League to Rimbor. The Light set their trap and the Reach snapped at the bait, fulfilling the Light's desire to thrust our world into the galactic spotlight. Part of their perverse survival of the fittest scheme for the planet; which they believe will transform the Earth and the Light into the eventual rulers of the Milky Way." Another holographic screen opened right in front of the Reach. "Though the Light made a deal to help the Reach take Earth, they have also sabotaged the Reach's efforts. They kept the enhanced meta-teens out of the Reach's hands, added a neutralizing agent to the Reach's drink, so Earth's population would not become servile." Another holographic screen opened in front of the Light. "They turned public opinion against the Reach and they intentionally allowed the Team access to the scarab temple, to cleanse Blue and Green Beetle. So you see? Any agenda any side imagined they shared was not but a carefully crafted illusion. I trust I have shattered that illusion. As well as whatever remains of this sorry alliance. Goodnight."

'Kaldur…' Red Arrow thought, mind still trying to wrap itself around all the new information he'd gained in the last couple minutes. 'What have you done?!'

"He has done more in death to ruin our plans than any living creature has wrought in 50,000 years," Savage said. "I'd be impressed if I wasn't so-" He was cut off by a roar from the ambassador.

"You Earthlings are a pestilence and a plague!" he yelled. "You dare sabotage us?! Dare betray us?! Have you forgotten who controls the Warworld?! The Light is fortunate we do not carve up your planet as we speak!"

"I would indeed impress, as I have the Warworld's crystal key." Savage walked so he was barely an inch from the ambassador.

"That is all I needed to know," Kadlur said as he stood.

Red Arrow was simultaneously filled with relief and shock. 'What's his plan here?!' he thought. 'What the fuck has he been up to?!'

"Kaldur?" Black Manta asked. "You're-"

"Alive," Kaldur confirmed. "yes."

"If you would," Artemis said from behind Ra's. He turned around to see her outstretched hand. She shook her head as she got to her feet. "And I always heard the Great One was such a gentleman."

"Impossible," Savage said. "Deathstroke killed you both."

"Just for a little while," Deathstroke said as a sword levitated to Savage's throat. "After all, we wouldn't want to do any permanent damage," The mercenary morphed into Miss Martian and Red Arrow's mouth dropped open more. "to my best friends. Not when a little misdirection and Hollywood special effects will do instead."

"For we value our true friends," Kaldur said to Savage. His words made Red Arrow's eyes narrowed as his shock turned to anger. "After all, we are not short on them."

Superboy and Guardian leaped into the cavern. On the other side, Nightwing, Robin, and Batgirl did the same. Kid Flash ran in and smiled at Savage. "Hey there, Manny!" he yelled. "You miss me?"

Taking this as the cue, Red Arrow gave his kids the signal and jumped down. He pulled an arrow from his quiver as he fell and nocked it when he hit the ground. When he rolled to his feet, he had the bowstring drawn and arrow ready. Behind him, he could hear Green Arrow and Speedy landing as well. Shock flashed across Kaldur's face, but Red Arrow pointedly ignored it. "We meet again," he said calmly.

"Well played and palled," Savage said. "But the Light always has contingencies."

Behind Artemis, The Brain began to glow. The entrances they'd used all closed and the top of the cavern opened. Shadows dropped in all around them. Red Arrow felt Green Arrow and Speedy move so the three of them were back-to-back in a tight circle.

"I've had enough of your interferences. Do not expect to survive." Savage looked around the Shadows. "Kill them all. Superboy may present a problem, but we'll deal with him when the children are bleeding on the ground."

"Still you refer to us as children," Kaldur said. "Even when our successes mound, you consistently under-estimate us." One of the Shadows pulled off his mask to reveal Blue Beetle. He immediately flew into the air and started shooting. Two more were revealed to be Team members, but Red Arrow didn't focus on them.

A shadow swung its sword at his head, so Red Arrow ducked and kicked it in the stomach. He fired an electroshock arrow at the shadow, then pivoted on his heel to swing his bow into the head of another. The Shadow ducked, but a foam arrow encased him form the side. Red Arrow glanced over to see Green Arrow reaching for his quiver. A sword swung down at his head, and Red Arrow reached for an arrow. Before he could fire though, a boxing glove arrow hit the blade. It threw the wielder off balance and Speedy took the chance to whack him in the head with her bow. She kicked his back while he was distracted to take him down. A hard blow hit Red Arrow from behind, making him stumble. His footing was regained after a few steps though and he spun around to fire an arrow into the shoulder of the shadow. The ninja dropped their weapon but still came at Red Arrow. He ducked under the sloppy punch and drove his bow into the Shadow's stomach.

While his opponent fell, Red Arrow snatched two arrows from his quiver and fired them at the Shadow sneaking up on Green Arrow and Speedy. The arrows hit the Shadow's foot, so when they took their next step the leg gave out. Speedy spun around and shot an electroshock arrow at the Shadow as they attempted to pull themselves up. Red Arrow shot a rope arrow at the legs of another Shadow that was running at him. Behind him, Green Arrow ducked under a sword, then shifted his weight to kick the shadow in the chest. He followed that with a glue arrow that trapped the Shadow as they fell back into the glue. A few feet away, Speedy shot another Shadow with an electroshock arrow, then slammed her bow into their face while they were stunned. She smirked as the Shadow stumbled backward and fell.

A flash of bright light and heat caught Red Arrow's attention. His eyes widened behind his mask when he saw the giant, fiery snake that snatched Miss Martian up with its tail. He glanced over at Savage, only to see him and Klarion disappearing into a portal. He made a step toward her, but a shadow stepped in front of him.

"Cowardly, meat!" Black Beetle yelled.

"No!" Ra's argued. "Savage has the right idea. This battle is pointless. Do not resist. The heroes have no jurisdiction here."

"Meaning every piece of meat is a coward."

Red Arrow grimaced as the shadow landed a lucky blow to his ribs the same moment Black Beetle struck Superboy to the ground. He brought down the shadow with his bow just in time to see Black Beetle stab Ra's through the chest.

"Master!" Ubu yelled. He knocked his opponent to the side.

"Such is the fate of all meat," Black Beetle said as he retracted his blade.

Ubu knocked Artemis aside as he ran to Ra's. "I have you, Master," he said as he caught the dying Ra's. "Ubu will keep you safe." He hoisted the older man onto his shoulder, then shot a grapple hook up at the cavern opening.

Unfortunately, his attention was drawn again by more Shadows dropping down. He stepped back, taking a quick glance around to confirm they were surrounded. "You guys holding?" he whispered.

"Uh-huh," Green Arrow replied, breasting heavily.

"There's still so many of them," Speedy hissed as she pulled another arrow from her quiver.

"Then we keep forcing them back," Red Arrow replied. He jumped at the nearest two and fired two electroshock arrows at them. The shadows fell and he dropped into a somersault. As soon as he stood, a Shadow attacked, forcing him into a close combat fight. Behind him, two Shadows came at him with swords.

"Red!" Speedy shot a rope arrow, which took out one of the shadows at the knees. The trapped Shadow tumbled into the one next to them, bringing them both down.

"Speedy, duck!" Green Arrow called out. She dropped and he shot a foam arrow that trapped three shadows as it quickly hardened. Speedy stood, then the two of them attack four more together.

Red Arrow took out his opponent with a swing of his bow. The fight had drawn him away from Green Arrow and Speedy, closer to where Kaldur was fighting his father. Despite himself, Red Arrow couldn't help but glance over.

"Foolish boy!" Black Manta yelled. "This is not a world, a universe, in which a free man can afford to be soft. I will teach you to be ruthless Kaldur'ahm. Even if I must beat it into your skull."

Manta's words struck a chord in Red Arrow's soul. When the villain's laser blast knocked Kaldur to the ground, he acted. The archer shot an arrow that struck Black Manat's helmet. His head turned toward Red Arrow, who dodged a laser blast that was sent at him. His diversion worked though and Kaldur was able to punch his father back with a giant, water fist. For a second, Kaldur gave Red Arrow a smile of thanks; one that was filled with warmth and love. But Red Arrow turned away and ran back to his kids. He shot two arrows at the last two shadows, pinning them to the rock wall of the cavern. He came to a stop several yards away as the teens whacked the shadows with their bows to knock them out. Despite the battle, he smiled. Around him, the battle slowly quieted as the Team triumphed. Movement caught Red Arrow's eye and he looked up. Black Beetle was getting away!

"Green Arrow! Speedy!" he yelled, firing an electroshock arrow. "Above!" His arrow was quickly trailed by two more, but Black Beetle flew out of the cavern before the arrows could even touch him. "Dammit." Red Arrow was so focused on missing Black Beetle that he filled to notice the looks of shock he was getting from his siblings and former teammates. He shook his head and sighed. "We were so close…"

"Are you kidding me?!" Nightwing yelled. Red Arrow looked over to where he and Kaldur were standing. "Kadlur, you won!"

"Won?!" Kid Flash asked. "Dude! Dude, you triumphed!"

"You crippled the Reach and you've literally broken the light in half! You even took down Deathstroke before the summit. Since we holographically recorded the entire deal, we'll be able to use the bad guys' own words against them to clear the Justice League!"

Red Arrow's eyes narrowed as Green Arrow and Speedy joined him. 'He knew… Dick- Dick knew…' he thought. It was the only thing that made sense. Nothing about this whole, crazy mess, Artemis being alive, Kaldur not being evil, the holograms, none of it surprised his brother. 'Dick knew Artemis was alive. He knew Kaldur tricked us. Dick helped him.' His suspicions were only confirmed when Beast Boy ran over to Artemis and give her a hug.

"I'm just so glad you're alive!" he cheered, then pointed to Kaldur. "And that Aqualad's not a traitor!" His finger moved to Nightwing. "No more faking anyone's death for at least a year."

Nightwing smiled a little, then looked up. His smile faltered when he saw the scowl on Red Arrow's face, as well as the obvious tension in his muscles. "Oh boy…" he whispered.

Kaldur looked as well and let out a sad sigh. "You knew it would all come down to this eventually," he whispered to his friend. "He would find out sooner or later. And it did not help that you did nothing to prepare him before the mission."

"I didn't want him to refuse to come or be distracted." Which was little comfort right now, knowing they owed Red Arrow a thorough explanation.

"Why the long faces?" Kid Flash asked as he walked to stand on the other side of Kaldur. "This has been a good night. Maybe the best we've had since the four of us broke into Cadmus five-plus years ago. Enjoy it."

"You are right about our victory, my friend," Kaldur said. He looked back at Red Arrow, who was approaching with his sidekicks. "But I am afraid it is not over yet." Kaldur glanced at Nightwing, who nodded. The two of them met Red Arrow halfway. Despite the obvious tension, Kaldur couldn't help but smile when he saw Red Arrow. "It's good to see you again, Roy."

Red Arrow flinched and took a step back. As soon as he did, Green Arrow and Speedy stepped forward so they were slightly in front of him. "Don't talk to him," the former said.

"Unless you want to be missing some teeth," the latter added.

Nightwing crossed his arms at them. "Look, kids, this doesn't really concern you-" he began but was cut off.

"Like hell, it doesn't-"

"Speedy," Red Arrow said quietly. He put his hand on her shoulder, causing her to back down. Taking a deep breath, Red Arrow stepped forward so he wasn't hiding behind the teens. "You two…" He took another deep breath to calm the anger that was bubbling up inside of him. "You two have some explaining to do." Kaldur opened his mouth, but before he could say anything Red Arrow's comm beeped in his ear. He held up his hand to silence his ex while his other went to his ear. "Yes?"

"This Red Arrow?" Detective Rodgerson asked.

"It is. Is this-"

"An emergency? Feels like it. I don't know where you've been tonight, but we have a major development in the serial killer case. I don't care if its the middle of the day, get your ass down to the police station, pronto."

"Of course. I'll be there soon." Red Arrow dropped his hand. "We're needed back in Star. Don't think this is over, though. Because you both owe me an explanation." He looked at Miss Martian. "Any chance you can give us a lift back to Star City right now?"

"Of course!" she answered. It was obvious Red Arrow was needed at home. "It'll take no time at all!"

"Thank you. Green Arrow, Speedy, let's go." Behind him, the two teens gave Nightwing and Kaldur glares as they turned to follow their mentor. Red Arrow sighed as Miss Martian levitated them out of the cavern. 'Looks like my mission isn't over yet. Next stop: taking down Ollie.'


	53. Angels Fear to Tread

A/N: Enjoy?

Red Arrow had Miss Martian drop them off near the zeta tube so they could grab their bikes. The invisible bioship hovered over a building so they could drop safely. A hatch opened on the floor and Red Arrow looked at Miss Martian while his partners jumped out. "Thank you, M'gann," he said.

"You're welcome," she replied. "Thanks for coming to help."

"Of course." He probably wouldn't have found out the truth if he hadn't gone.

Miss Martian cleared her throat a little bit. "I won't tell you how to feel, but…Kaldur and Nightwing love you, Roy. Just…remember that."

"I have to go." Red Arrow turned away and leaped through the hatch. He landed on the rooftop, then ran to the edge. As quick as possible, he climbed to the ground to get to his bike.

"It's almost 5 am," Green Arrow noted as their mentor got on his bike. "Where are we going?"

"Police station."

"We're going to be out during the day?" Speedy asked in surprise.

"We don't really have a choice. Let's go." The three vigilantes drove through the drowsy city. It took them longer than it normally would due to sticking to side-streets and the least populated areas. They made up for it with the speed they used. Red Arrow had them park in their usual, secluded spot. Green Arrow and Speedy stayed on their bike, like usual, but their mentor gestured to them. "Come on, guys."

"He's actually letting us come?" Speedy whispered to Green Arrow as they followed Red Arrow across the street. "We're never allowed to directly interact with the police."

"It must be serious," Green Arrow agreed. He was still full of adrenaline from the battle a few hours earlier, which was mixing very weirdly with the forboding of the situation. Luckily, it gave him plenty of energy to quickly sale the side of the police station. Red Arrow slipped through the open window first, followed by Speedy and Green Arrow last. As soon as his boots touched the floor of the office, he was very aware of the three police detectives inside that stared at him.

"Didn't know you'd be bringing the preschoolers," Detective Rodgerson said.

"They were with me when you called," Red Arrow explained. "Besides, they're as familiar with this case as I am." He stowed his bow on his back, then crossed his arms. "What happened?"

"The dark archer killed three more people."

"…three?"

"Yes."

Red Arrow sighed and rubbed his eyes. "God… Ok, where exactly were the victims found?"

"One by a diner on South Main street. The second was found near an apartment building on Westview Drive and the third in a back alley off of Third Street."

"Ok. We should take a look at the crime scenes, just to see if the killer left anything behind."

"Sounds good." Rodgerson looked at the other two officers in the room. "I'll take Red Arrow to the sight of the first murder. Jacobs, go with…the girl to the second victim. Perez with the boy to the third."

"You guys ok with that?" Red Arrow asked the teens.

"Mhm," Green Arrow replied.

"Yup," Speedy nodded.

"Ok. Take note of anything suspicious, be on your toes, and watch the detective's backs. GA, drop Speedy off on your way to your crime scene." He watched the two teens climb out the window, then moved to follow. Before he could walk more than a few steps though, an arm stopped him. Red Arrow looked at Detective Rodgerson. "Something wrong, detective?"

"Have you told me everything you know about this serial killer?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Everything, archer? Because he's getting braver. We've been running down leads and knocking on doors for weeks, but still no suspects. I don't want to be running after this guy until the day I retire. So, I'll ask again, is there anything you know about him that you're not sharing?"

Red Arrow swallowed. "I- I don't know if you'd believe me if I told you."

"Told me what?" When the vigilante didn't say anything, Rodgerson dropped his arm. "I've been a cop in this city for over 30 years. There's very little you could say that would surprise me."

"…The serial killer is Green Arrow." There was a moment of silence. "The- The old one. My- My former mentor."

"The one that killed criminals?"

"Yeah. Him."

"Shit." Rodgerson sighed and banged a fist on his desk. "You're sure?"

"Positive. He- He's here getting revenge."

"On you?"

"Yeah…"

"He's that angry about you running away to Gotham?" When Red Arrow gave him a look of surprise, he smiled wryly. "A young, archery-based vigilante with red hair disappeared from Star and reappeared in Gotham a few months later. I'm a detective for a reason, kid. It doesn't take a genius to put two and two together."

"That's part of it. It's that and…I sort of got him sent to a space prison." Now it was Red Arrow's turn to smile at the shocked look on Detective Rodgerson's face. "He made some bad friends who convinced him to break into the Justice League's headquarters. I took him down and he was arrested by the Green Lanterns."

"Well…damn… If he's been there for the past five years…I can see why he holds the grudge then." Rodgerson crossed his arms. "If this is Green Arrow, the original one, then we've got an even bigger problem. Serial killers I can handle, but that maniac… I almost lost an eye because of him once. He's good."

"So am I."

"As good as him?"

"Better." The word struck a chord of surprise in Red Arrow, but he didn't try to take it back because it was true. "We should get to the crime scene."

"Right. See you there."

Red Arrow climbed out the window, trying to go as fast as he could without falling. The sun was up now, which meant people would be able to see him. Not that he'd never done vigilante stuff during the day, but it was weird. Like the time in 2nd grad when his school had a 'pajama day' during spirit week. But he ignored the weirdness and focused on the task at hand. 'Ollie's getting more confident,' he thought as he drove to the crime scene. 'He's escalating. Probably trying to goad me into a fight.' The thought made his stomach twist. 'I don't want to fight him again. I- I don't want to keep fighting him.' But what else could he do? 'I have to stop him. I can't allow innocent people to keep dying like this. It's senseless and it has to stop.' He kept repeating that in his head all the way to the crime scene.

By the time Red Arrow arrived at the crime scene, Detective Rodgerson was already there. He got off his bike and stepped over the yellow police tape with ease. They were in a narrow alley next to a diner, so narrow the two men could barely stand shoulder to shoulder in it. "There isn't a lot of space," the vigilante noted as his eyes analyzed the blood pattern. 'None of it is on the wall of the building. It's all on the ground…'

"Hadn't noticed," Rodgerson replied with an eye roll.

"It's too small to shoot…"

"Then how do you explain how the guy ended up with an arrow in his chest?"

Red Arrow's eyes darted around the space, looking for an answer. Then he looked up at the tops of the buildings around them. "He used the roof…"

"What?"

"O- The killer. He shot the guy from the rooftop." Red Arrow put his hand to his comm. "GA, Speedy."

"What's up, Red?" Speedy replied.

"Describe the blood splatter patterns of your crime scene."

"Uh….ok. It's dark red. Dried. Uh…kind looks like a puddle."

"Is it on just the ground, or the ground and the wall?"

"Just the ground."

"Green Arrow?"

"The blood splatter is just on the ground here too," he replied.

"Were either of the bodies found in a place big enough to shoot in?"

"No."

"Speedy?"

"Maybe if you had a small bow," she suggested.

Red Arrow sighed a little. "Ok. Unless you've found anything else, head back to the police station." He let his hand fall from his comm, then looked at Detective Rodgerson. "Based on the blood splatter and size of the spaces where you found the bodies, all the victims were shot from rooftops." It nauseated Red Arrow to think about Oliver shooting these innocent, unarmed people from above. Taking them out completely unaware of what was happening. "He basically ambushed them."

"Bastard," Rodgerson muttered. He ran a hand through his hair. "Feels like he's playing with us."

'No, just me.' Red Arrow grimaced. "We should head back to the police station. I don't think I'll find anything else.' There was no point in wasting time there. He went back to his bike and drove off as soon as he could. It was almost 7 am, meaning the sun was up and people were out. Enduring the weirdness of the situation, Red Arrow couldn't help the anxiety at being out during the day. 'Not everyone in Star is supportive of us. I don't need to draw unnecessary attention to myself right now.' Especially with Oliver running around. 'I need to figure out what I'm going to do. Oliver's behavior is escalating and he's getting more ruthless. I have to stop him.' Which wasn't just as simple as fighting him. First, Red Arrow had to find him. Unfortunately, that was an even harder task. He thought about it all the way back to the police station.

By the time he was hauling himself through the window of Detective Rodgerson's office, Red Arrow still didn't have any idea of how to find Oliver. He was also the last one there. "We have to stop the killer," he said without preamble.

"Well there's a new idea," Detective Perez muttered, but Rodgerson glared at her.

"Any ideas, archer?" Rodgerson asked the vigilante.

"…I- I don't know…" There was just too much to do. So many things they still didn't know; including how to find Oliver. A familiar feeling began to wrap itself around his heart. It was the helplessness that he'd often felt as Speedy; watching his mentor kill people every night, unable to stop it. 'Except I'm not Speedy anymore.' Red Arrow clenched his hands into fists and closed his eyes. 'I'm not a scared kid anymore. I'm a superhero. There are innocent people to protect.' He took a deep breath, then opened his eyes. "We'll take care of him."

"When you say we, do you mean-"

"I mean my team. Me, GA, and Speedy. The three of us will stop the killer."

"What about us?!" Detective Jacobs demanded.

"This person is highly skilled and dangerous. We're the only ones who have a chance of taking him down."

"Are you sure about this?" Detective Rodgerson asked, a hint of concern in his voice. "You can handle it?"

"I came back here to protect Star. To keep the citizens safe and give them the kind of vigilante they've always deserved. That's my job and I'm going to take down this killer."

"How?"

"…We're going to draw him out."

"We?"

"Yes, we. I need you to tell the press you know who the killer is."

"Am I going to tell them who it really is?"

"No. Definitely don't do that. Just…tell them you know, and you don't want to give it away, but there'll be a police raid on his hideout."

"And where is this hideout?"

"24 Waterside Ave."

"The street with all the abandoned warehouses?"

"Exactly. Make sure to include that the vigilante will be assisting the police. That should draw him out."

"If you say so."

"Then make sure you clear as many civilians away from there as possible. I don't want anyone to caught in the crossfire."

"Of course."

"Good. Tell the press the raid is tonight. Then steer clear. Let me know if any more murders show up."

"I will." Detective Rodgerson watched as Red Arrow waved his sidekicks over to the window. "Red Arrow?" The vigilante turned to look at him. "Good luck."

"Thanks, Detective. See you around."

— —

When they got back to the Arrow Cave, Red Arrow went to his computers. "You two should get some rest," he said, pulling up the case files on Oliver.

"We're fighting Oliver Queen in…like 12 hours and you want us to sleep?!" Speedy demanded. "Screw that."

"Language. You guys have been up for almost 24 hours."

"So have you," Green Arrow pointed out.

"I'm an adult, not a growing teenager."

"We'll be fine," Speedy told him. "Come on, Connor. Let's go practice shooting."

Red Arrow shook his head as he went back to the monitors. Even though he knew he should make the teens sleep, he quickly lost himself in the case files. These files weren't foreign to him, in fact, Red Arrow knew them inside and out, backward and forward. Despite this intimate knowledge though, he couldn't shake the feeling that he needed to read them one more time. 'Bruce always said you need to know your enemy before you engage,' he reminded himself. 'That's what I'm doing. Familiarizing myself with the enemy.' The irony that he, of all people, was trying to become more familiar with Oliver, wasn't lost on Red Arrow. 'What am I even going to do with him? I could probably just restrain him and call up to the Watchtower for backup. I also have to decide what I'm doing with Connor and Mia.' The thought made him glance over at where the teens were practicing their shooting. 'I know they want to come. And it's not like I don't trust them or think they can't take care of themselves. It's just…this is Oliver. It's not like with other enemies. I just want to protect them.' However, if he didn't let them come there was a high likelihood they'd follow. Plus, they'd held their own against the League of Shadows on Santa Prisca. 'I don't like any of this.'

The day passed slowly for the three vigilantes. Green Arrow and Speedy practiced their shooting for a few hours, then moved on to their hand-to-hand combat skills. After they grabbed some protein bars Red Arrow kept in the cave and sat down to munch on them. Despite their protests that morning about not being tired, both teens passed out against the wall when they were finished eating. Red Arrow was so lost in what he was doing that it took him almost an hour to notice the cave was quieter. He spun around in his chair and a warm smile broke out on his face when he saw them. 'Good,' he thought, standing to stretch. 'They need to sleep. Staying awake for two days straight isn't good for kids their age.' While he'd also been up for over 24 hours, Red Arrow couldn't sleep. His brain and every nerve in his body was buzzing with nervous energy. So he set to work doing maintenance on the trick arrows.

By the time he stopped, it was night time. Red Arrow stood, then walked over to his sleeping kids. "Guys, wake up," he said, shaking Connor's shoulder. "Come on, wake up."

"Hmm?" Green Arrow opened his eyes and yawned. "What time is it?"

"Almost 7pm. You guys have been asleep for five hours. Wake Mia, then eat and warm up your muscles."

"Mhm." Green Arrow looked at the girl sleeping on his shoulder. "Mia," he said gently. "Mia, come on. We have to get ready for the fight."

"Uh-huh." Speedy moaned as she sat up. She stretched, apparently oblivious to her hand in Green Arrow's face.

"Come on. Roy says we need to eat and warm up."

"Alright."

While they were doing that, Red Arrow filled their quivers. He selected all the arrows carefully, mind going over scenario after scenario where each one might come in handy. 'We need to be prepared,' he thought. 'Ollie is good. It won't be easy to beat him.' By the time he had their quivers full of arrows, Green Arrow and Speedy had eaten more protein bars and chased each other around the cave. "Are you tow ready to go?"

"We are," Green Arrow replied.

"Good. Grab your quivers and let's go." Something, maybe anticipation or dread, settled in Red Arrow's bones as he got on his bike. He took several deep breaths to calm his nerves. Once Green Arrow and Speedy were on the former's bike, they were on their way. The entire ride to the warehouse, Red Arrow had to keep taking deep breaths to calm himself down. 'Maybe the fight won't be so bad,' he thought as the got closer. 'Maybe Ollie will be overpowered easily and I won't need to risk Connor and Mia's lives.' It was a long shot, but he could always dream. When they were a few blocks from the warehouse, Red Arrow pulled over his bike. He found a place to hide the bikes then got off. "Guys," he said slowly. "If this goes wrong…"

"Wrong how?" Speedy asked when Red Arrow didn't continue.

"Wrong like… If something happens to me…if I'm not around… Then I want you guys to run." Red Arrow looked at the younger archers. "Do you understand me? Don't try to fight him. Run and get back to the Cave. Call the League for backup. Do not try to take on Oliver alone."

"But, Red-"

"Promise me."

"I promise," Green Arrow said.

"Speedy?"

"…Promise," she replied unhappily.

"Ok. We're going to wait for him on the rooftops. I'll take the north side, you two on the south. Watch each others' backs and stay together. Got it?" They nodded and he shot a grapple arrow the rooftop. It jerked him into the air and he flipped onto the rooftop. He only paused long enough to hear that Green Arrow and Speedy were behind him, then took off running. The buzzing feeling in his nerves had been present all afternoon, so he was happy to channel that energy into running. Unfortunately, they were a few streets from the warehouse, so it didn't take him long to reach their destination. He kept going though, confident the teens would go to their assigned positions. When he was on the north side of the building, Red Arrow found a dark place to wait. "You guys set?" he asked over his comm.

"We are," Green Arrow replied in a whisper.

"Ok." Red Arrow dropped his hand and waited. His eyes scanned the rooftop, searching left and right. The warehouse they were on was tall, eight or nine stories, so the wind whipped at his hair and made him shiver a little bit, despite it being June. Red Arrow tried to keep his breathing as even and silent as possible. Eventually, he became so focused on the rooftop that he didn't even notice the wind. His muscles were tense and ready for action. Paradoxically, he was so hyper-focused that he almost missed it. A shadow moved in the corner of his eye and Red Arrow had to resist the urge to snap his heard toward it. Instead, he stayed still, waiting for the shadow to move again. When it did, he took a deep breath. This time he slowly moved his head. A minute later, his eyes followed the shadow as it crept across the rooftop. Residual light from the street lights hanging off the side of the building allowed him to see who it was. "Stay hidden until my signal," he whispered into his comm. Red Arrow didn't wait for a reply and stepped out of his hiding spot. "Oliver Queen. The man who channels his anger and calls it strength."

Oliver spun around and pulled an arrow from his quiver. "Long time no see, Speedy," he smiled, still keeping the arrow trained on the vigilante. There was no mask and his hood was down, giving Red Arrow a clear view of his face. "I came to see the show."

"It's over, Oliver. You're done killing people in my city."

"Your city? Your city?! This was my city long before it was yours!"

"And you spent years terrorizing people!"

"I was protecting this city! Something I thought you could help me with, you ungrateful bastard!"

"I am protecting the city. From you and your twisted sense of justice." Red Arrow pulled an arrow from his quiver and nocked it. "You're no hero. You're just a killer. A depraved monster who found a way to channel his darkness and pat himself on the back for it."

"And you're so morally superior?"

"I don't kill innocent people."

"And whose fault is that hmm? Who's the reason I was imprisoned in space for five goddamn years!"

"You did that to yourself, Ollie! You had choices and you made your decisions. I didn't make them for you." He drew the bowstring back. "Green Arrow! Speedy!"

Oliver glanced back at the two teens who came out of the shadows with bows drawn. "You don't have the Justice League or your pathetic friends for backup, so you're throwing your strays at me?"

"We aren't strays!" Speedy objected. "So…put down your weapons or you'll be sorry!"

"Yeah!" Green Arrow added in a shaky voice.

"Fine, you want to do this the hard way?" Oliver asked with a smirk. "Let's do it the hard way." He spun on his heel and fired the arrow at the teens. They dodged to the side and Red Arrow fired at Oliver. The man sidestepped his arrow, but Red Arrow already had another on his bowstring. Oliver fired back at him and he threw his head to the right to avoid it. For a few seconds, the two of them danced across the rooftop, firing and dodging arrows; with Green Arrow and Speedy trying to hit Oliver when they had clear shots. Finally, Red Arrow mangled to hit Oliver in the face with a boxing glove arrow. His heart stuttered for a moment at the way Oliver's head snapped back. When he turned back, Red Arrow froze for a moment at Oliver's bloody nose and the look of anger in his eyes. Unfortunately, that moment was enough for an arrow to scrape his cheek.

Green Arrow's eyes widened at his mentor's cry of pain. He turned his gaze to Oliver, who was advancing on Roy. Without thinking, he ran at the man and tackled him to the rooftop. Maybe it was the surprise, but Green Arrow found himself on top of Oliver. Thinking fast, he put his bow against the man's trachea to pin him. Oliver grabbed the bow and pushed back. He smirked when the teen grunted and his arms shook with the effort of resisting. Moving quickly, he jerked the bow toward the bow, then away from him. The bow slipped from his fingers then Oliver whacked him in the head with it. "Ah!" Green Arrow gasped as pain shot through his skull. He caught himself with one arm as Oliver shoved him off. The man stood over him, still holding Green Arrow's bow.

"Hey!" Speedy yelled. She fired an arrow at Oliver to force him back a step and ran at him. Oliver threw the bow at her, but Speedy caught it and kept running. She jumped and swung both bows at him, but Oliver dodged. He grabbed her cape and jerked it back against her windpipe. Speedy stubbled back and Oliver wrapped an arm around her neck. She drove her heel into his knee with all her strength and Oliver stumbled. While he was doubled-over, she hit his knee again, this time from behind with her bow. He released her and she somersaulted forward. In almost one motion, she slid Green Arrow's bow to him, then spun around to point another arrow at Oliver. It wasn't necessary though, because Red Arrow shot an arrow that cut Oliver's shoulder.

Oliver fired two arrows at Red Arrow, then ran at him. Dodging the arrows was easy, but it distracted him long enough that Oliver managed to punch him in the face. Red Arrow stumbled back half a step, then swung his bow at Oliver's head. Oliver ducked, but Red Arrow kicked him in the chest. He fired another arrow that forced Oliver to drop his bow. Oliver didn't hesitate though and came at Red Arrow swinging his fists. He came so fast and with so much force Red Arrow had to focus on dodging and blocking. The blows forced Red Arrow to back so much that he felt his heel dip over the edge of the rooftop. Thinking fast, he dropped, grabbed the edge of the roof as he fell, then sprang back up. He flipped over Oliver and tripped the man when he landed. Oliver fell to the rooftop and Red Arrow tried to pin him down. Unfortunately, Oliver slipped one of his hands free before Red Arrow could grab it and punched him across the jaw. "Gah!"

"He needs help!" Speedy hissed to Green Arrow. "Come on!"

"Right behind you," Green Arrow replied as he followed.

They both pulled arrows from their quivers as they ran and shot them at Oliver. While the arrows didn't hit him, they did fly past his face and pulled his attention. He smirked as he ran the two teens, who shot him with twin tripwire arrows. The arrows both released ropes that were supposed to wrap around Oliver's ankles but he jumped. So they split up. Oliver went after Speedy first. She smiled as she leaped from foot to foot, dodging his punches. "Nice try!" Speedy kicked him in the leg, then hit him in the stomach with her bow. It briefly stunned Oliver, but he recovered a second later and grabbed her bow. The two struggled for a few seconds before he managed to wrench the bow from the teen girl's hands. Oliver threw the bow off the roof while he grabbed the front of Speedy's suit with the other hand. She dug her heels into the rooftop and clawed at his hand with her gloved fingertips, but it made no difference. Then Green Arrow hit Oliver in the back.

Oliver stubbled forward and Green Arrow kicked him again. His grip on Speedy loosened enough for her to drive her elbow into his arm and break his grip. Oliver turned to face Green Arrow, who punched him in the face. Green Arrow swallowed a little bit and took a step back, but tried to keep his fear in check. He blocked the punch Oliver threw at him, then grabbed an electroshock arrow from his quiver. Before he could form a plan though, Oliver tried to stab him with an arrow. The teen stumbled back, tripping over his own feet and fell to the ground. Oliver took the opportunity to stab an arrow into Green Arrow's hood. It pinned him to the rooftop and Green Arrow dropped his electroshock arrow as he tried to pull it out. Unfortunately, the angle of attack didn't allow him enough room to pull the arrow out. Pain zapped through his body and he screeched. "Ahhhh!"

"GA!" Speedy yelled. She ran at Oliver, but he whipped around and backhanded her to the rooftop. While she was down, he grabbed her hood and stabbed an arrow into it as well.

"You kids stay down while I teach my boy a lesson," Oliver told them. He attacked Red Arrow, who looked between him and the trapped sidekicks before firing an arrow at Oliver. It skimmed his face, but Oliver didn't seem to notice. He pulled an arrow from his quiver and tried to stab him. Red Arrow stepped back and dodged the attacks. Taking fast, he dropped his bow and pulled an arrow from his own quiver. He grabbed the strap of Oliver's quiver and cut it with his arrow. The quiver fell, but Oliver didn't even seem to notice. He kept swinging the arrow at Red Arrow, aiming for his neck or face. His movement became so fast and erratic that all Red Arrow could do was dodge and redirect the blows. Trying to make some distance, he backflipped to get away from Oliver. All that did was cause Oliver to run at him, arrow raised. Without thinking, Red Arrow threw himself to the side.

Several things happened at once. The same moment he threw himself to the ground, Oliver jumped at him, probably thinking he would dodge as he had been. Their fight was close to the edge of the roof and when Oliver landed, one foot was on the roof and one wasn't. Unfortunately, the foot not on the roof hit first and he fell. Red Arrow scrambled to the edge of the roof. A foot and a half below him, Oliver was hanging on my one hand clutching a thin lip in the stone; the arrow still tightly gripped in his other hand. Taking a deep breath, Red Arrow reached his hand down. "Ollie, grab my hand," he said. Oliver glared at him and his fingers tightened themselves around the arrow. "I'm serious! Drop the arrow and give me your hand! I'll help you!" Red Arrow stared at Oliver's eyes and saw the decision in them a second before the man moved. He pulled himself back instinctively and the arrow missed.

The force of the motion threw Oliver off-balance and his fingers slipped from the thin lip.

Red Arrow scrambled back to the edge of the rooftop, hand already outstretched, but it was too late. Nausea hit him at the same moment Oliver hit the ground. Distantly, somewhere, he heard a crack and thud. Dark blood pooled under the man's head. Red Arrow didn't move. He barely even breathed. Time froze as he knelt on the edge of the roof, hands gripping the edge.

Meanwhile, Speedy figured out how to detach her cape from her suit. Now free of the arrow, she ran over the Green Arrow and freed him. "You ok?" she asked.

"Uh-huh," Green Arrow replied. He looked over at their mentor while Speedy went back for her cape. "I think Red's hurt." The two of them sprinted to Red Arrow and dropped to their knees beside him. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, are you hurt?"

Red Arrow didn't say anything. He just stared down at Oliver.

Green Arrow and Speedy looked at each other over his back, then the former glanced over the edge of the roof. He gasped and scrambled away from the edge like it was a portal to hell. "Oh no…"

"What?" Speedy asked. She looked over the edge as well. "Oh shit…"

After a couple of deep breaths, Green Arrow crawled closer to Red Arrow. "Uh…Red," he said slowly. "I- I know you're probably…having a difficult time, but we can't just stay here."

Red Arrow nodded and closed his eyes. "Right," he mumbled. "Right. Uh…we- we need to…" Move the body- Oliver- the body… He sighed. "Let's…move him."

"Ok. Ok, we can do that. Right, Speedy?"

"Absolutely," Speedy agreed emphatically. "I'll go…make sure a door to the warehouse is unlocked while you two…drag him?"

When Red Arrow didn't move, Green Arrow nudged him. "Sound good, Red?"

"Uh…yeah, yeah," Red Arrow replied, sounding like he was somewhere else mentally. "Let's just…get this over with." Red Arrow tried not to throw up as he followed the teens to the ground. He approached Oliver's body like he used to approach dangerous snakes growing up. When he was right next to Oliver, he knelt down and felt for his pulse. Even though everything suggested otherwise. The stillness washed over him like a cold wave. Something slithered up his insides and wrapped itself tightly around his lungs, constricting his breathing.

"Red? Are you ok?"

"Yeah. Let's do this." Red Arrow grabbed one arm and Green Arrow grabbed the other. He blocked out everything and only focused on getting inside the warehouse. When they got there, he dropped the arm and stumbled back. Speedy grabbed a white sheet from a pile of old boxes and covered Oliver with it. As soon as he disappeared under the sheet, Red Arrow fled from the warehouse. He doubled-over, taking fast deep breaths, trying not to hyperventilate. 'Oh, God… What happened?! What the hell just happened?!'

"Uh…Red?" Speedy asked. "Are you ok?"

Red Arrow forced himself to stand straight and looked up. Above him, the stars stared down unsympathetically. In an instant, the muddled feelings in his head turned to sharp anger. "Let's go."

"Ok, but where are we going?"

"The Watchtower."


	54. Something of a Debrief

A/N: Ok, well, I hope everyone...liked the last chapter. Bonus points to anyone who knows what the title of that chapter was a reference too. Anyway, here's the second to last chapter. Unfortunately, Roy's night isn't over yet. Enjoy!

"Red Arrow, B-04.

"Green Arrow, A-14.

"Speedy, A-15."

Stepping onto the Watchtower from the zeta tube, Red Arrow almost didn't hear the twin gasps behind him. A dismayed part of him, a tiny part of his brain, wanted to be excited at bringing Green Arrow and Speedy onto the Watchtower for the first time. Especially after they'd asked to be on the Team for months. Unfortunately, the majority of his brain was focused on one thing. Answers. He stopped and his eyes searched the heroes for the two he was looking for. Before them though, he found Batman. For a second, he was relieved, glad to see B had made it back to Earth in one piece, but his relief was quickly overtaken by his anger.

If he was wasn't so single-mindedly focused on finding Kaldur and Nightwing he might've noticed how Batman almost smiled and was clearly happy to see him. That also didn't last long, because Batman very quickly realized Red Arrow was upset about something. Then he noticed the two teens standing behind Red Arrow and his curiosity piqued. 'When did Roy start training sidekicks?' he thought. The same thought passed through the minds of the other League members in the room.

Behind Red Arrow, Green Arrow and Speedy craned their necks to look around the large room. Their eyes jumped eagerly from hero to hero while their hearts pounded in anticipation. Both teens were still full of adrenaline after the fight they'd just had, and being here wasn't calming them down any.

"We're really in the Justice League's headquarters," Speedy whispered excitedly to her companion.

"This is so cool," Green Arrow agreed. He was a little nervous, being around all these heroes, but it was overridden by excitement. 'This is what I want. To be in a place like this with the Justice League. Be a real hero and not like-' The thought of his father was quickly discarded; given what happened less than an hour before.

Red Arrow finally found Kaldur and Nightwing and made a beeline for them. As he did, they separated themselves from the crowd.

'Everyone, give them space,' Miss Martian telepathically told the other heroes. 'They're going to need it.'

Red Arrow barely noticed how the other heroes in the room discreetly left, except for Batman, as he crossed his arms and glared. "Talk," he said harshly. "What's been going on?!"

"We…lied to you," Nightwing admitted quietly. It was a feat of strength, but he managed to push aside his still raw grief over Wally. There was one more person he needed to disappoint before he could escape back to Blüdhaven and collapse. "Technically to everyone, but…mostly you. Kaldur went undercover to get information on the Light and bring them down from the inside. We wanted to utilize his connection to Black Manta. He never betrayed us."

"You lied to me. Both of you?"

"Yes," Kadlur replied sadly. "We did."

"Why didn't you just tell me the truth?!"

"Because-"

"That was my fault," Nightwing said. "Kaldur wanted to tell you, but I convinced him it would be safer for you if you didn't know the truth."

"This mission was very dangerous. I was dealing with people who could've gone after you if I was discovered or if any number of things went wrong."

"Is that it?" Red Arrow asked. "You decided to lie because you didn't think that I, an adult, could take care of myself?"

"It was not that I did not believe in you. We both know how capable you are but we l-" he stopped himself just short of using the L-word, "care about you. Deeply. The last thing we wanted was for something to happen to you if the mission went bad." As much as Kaldur wanted to leave it there, he knew they needed to be completely honest with Red Arrow. He deserved it. "But…there is more." Kaldur took a breath. "We knew that-"

"It was my idea," Nightwing admitted quietly. He swallowed and resisted the urge to look at the ground. "I wanted to keep it from you because…if you believed Kaldur had turned bad…then everyone else would too."

Red Arrow stumbled back like he'd been hit. Pain shot through his chest. Behind him, Green Arrow and Speedy's body language shifted. Before they had been apprehensive of the conversation but after Nightwing's revelation, the shock hit them in a second. They crossed their arms and glared at the older heroes. Batman made a note of how the moved closer to Roy like they were getting ready to protect him. Red Arrow, meanwhile, was having trouble processing this information. Tremors shook his hands. Kaldur and Dick… His boyfriend and his brother…they had conspired against him. Used him. Manipulated him. Red Arrow's hands balled into fists. He turned to Kadlur. "How could you? How could you do this to me?! You went behind my back! You manipulated me for your stupid plan! You! Someone I loved and trusted! You betrayed me! I thought you'd be one of the last people in the world who would ever hurt me! But I was wrong…" He turned to Nightwing.

"And you-" The words stopped short as the reality of the situation hit him. His little brother, the person who'd been there for him from the beginning, had done this to him. Orchestrated the manipulation of Red Arrow's emotions and feelings to get what he'd wanted. It made the archer sick to his stomach. Red Arrow didn't say anything. He just turned away and walked toward the zeta tube. "Green Arrow, Speedy. Let's go home."

The teens glared at Kaldur and Nightwing for a few, brief seconds before following their mentor.

— —

As much as Red Arrow wanted to go straight home, he just as equally wanted his daughter. So instead of taking the zeta tube to Star, the three vigilantes ended up in Gotham. "Stay here," he said to the teens before running off. It was almost 1 am, so he moved silently through the neighborhood. The fact that it was 1 am should've caused him to pause and think, but he didn't bother. It had been one of the longest 48-hour periods of Roy's young life. All he wanted was to go home and sleep; with the knowledge that all three of his kids were safe under his roof. So, when he reached Paula Crock's apartment, Red Arrow was relieved to see that she was awake, rocking Lian. The vigilante raised his hand to gently knock his knuckle against the glass of the window. Before he could do it though, she looked up.

"You're here awfully late," Paula observed as Red Arrow let himself in.

"I've had a day…" he lied tiredly. "More like two… I just want to take the kids home. All of them."

"Hmm…" While she had more questions, it was easy to see the lines of exhaustion in every curve of his body. So, she simply held out Lian for him to take. "I'll go get her bag."

"Thank you." Something in Roy's soul settled slightly as he settled his infant daughter in his arms. She was fast asleep, her tiny face peaceful and unaware.

Red Arrow carefully caressed a finger down her cheek. The material of his gloves was rougher than his skin, so he was a little surprised it didn't wake her. 'Maybe she senses it's me,' he thought, pulling the blanket so it rested just under her chin. 'She knows that here she's safe.'

Paula returned with Lian's bag, although she stopped for a moment in the doorway, watching the vigilante with his daughter. Even though she couldn't see his eyes, she was certain they were filled with love. "Here you go."

"Thank you." Red Arrow took the bag from her and draped it over his shoulder. "And thanks again, for watching her."

"I'm happy to do it. She is my granddaughter."

"I know."

"If you know, then don't be too much of a stranger. I'd like to see her once in a while."

"I'll remember that. Good night."

"Get some rest, hero. You look like you're about to drop dead."

"I will." Red Arrow carefully slipped back through the window. 'Come on, baby girl. Let's go home.'

— —

Normally, Roy was the last one changed and upstairs. Tonight, however, Mia and Connor stayed behind after he'd gone upstairs with Lian.

"What just happened tonight?" Mia asked as she hung her quiver.

"Uh….I think Roy went through something…potential traumatizing?" Connor suggested. "I- I don't really know. It's…hard to process."

"And God only knows what would be considered traumatizing to him at this point after everything else he's been through."

"True."

Mia turned back to Connor and crossed her arms. "So…what do we do? I mean, we can't trust any of those so-called heroes-"

"Agreed."

"So it's up to us to make Roy feel better."

"How?"

"You're the honor roll student, you tell me."

"Uh…Let's go check on him."

Upstairs, Roy was changing Lian and getting her into the pajamas. After everything that had happened, an activity as mundane as putting Lian to bed felt good for his psyche. Once she was in her favorite, night-time onesie, Roy laid Lian down in her crib. "Time to sleep now, baby.

"Ahala ahalago naashá gha̧

Shí naashá gha̧, shí naashá gha̧

Shí naashá lágo hózhǫ́ la

Shí naashá gha̧, shí naashá gha̧

Shí naashá, ladee hózhóó lá

Ahala ahalago naashá gha̧

Shí naashá gha̧, shí naashá gha̧

Shí naashá lágo hózhǫ́ la

Shí naashá gha̧, shí naashá gha̧

Shí naashá, ladee hózhóó lá."

By the time he finished singing, Lian was asleep again. "I love you, Lian. Never forget that ok? Daddy loves you and your siblings more than anything." He leaned down to kiss her, then silently left the room. Closing the door behind him, Roy found he was suddenly exhausted. So he slumped across the hall to his bedroom.

When Connor and Mia came upstairs, they went straight to Roy's bedroom. They found him in bed, lying on top of the blankets. He wasn't even in pajamas; just the sweats he'd put on after changing out of his suit.

"Uh…Roy?" Connor asked quietly. "Are you ok?" When they didn't get a response, he swallowed, then crawled onto the bed. He laid next to Roy, on his right side, and draped an arm over his back.

After a moment of hesitation, Mia followed his lead and laid down on Roy's other side. She grabbed his hands and squeezed them tight. "It's ok, Roy," she said. "We're here."

"Yeah. We're not going anywhere."

Roy nodded. The exhaustion and grief from the last couple of days finally caught up to him. His breaths came in short gasps and something cold engulfed his heart. In the back of his mind, he was aware of Connor and Mia holding him, anchoring him to the world. Safe knowing they wouldn't let him drift away, Roy let go and cried.


	55. In the End

A/N: Oh boy, this it. The final chapter of the third story. Thank you so much to everyone who has supported this story, you're all the best! There will be a fourth and final installment to this series. I don't know when it will be posted, but I hope you'll all read it when it's ready. Until then, enjoy the final chapter.

Bright sunlight surrounded Roy as he gazed out at the forest. He stood on one of the tallest buildings on the edge of the city. Where the buildings bordered the woods that surrounded Star on its North-East corner. Somewhere, in these woods, was where he'd made his greats escape with Dick almost 8 years prior. The reminder of the memory made his heart pang with longing. Roy shook his head and forced himself to focus on the task at hand. He took a deep breath, then nocked an arrow to his bowstring. The familiar shape and draw of his longbow allowed some of the tension in his shoulders to relax. Only some though. He aimed at an angle into the sky, then let the arrow fly. It arched through the clear blue sky and down into the woods. Roy quickly lost sight of it as it disappeared below the tree line. He took a small device out of his pocket and turned it on. After a few seconds, the GPS located the tracker on the arrow.

Roy nodded to himself, then climbed back down to the ground. He dropped into the alley where Connor and Mia were waiting. The two teens were leaning against the side of the building but straightened as he approached them.

"Did it land?" Mia asked.

"It did," Roy replied. "Told you it wouldn't get stuck in a branch."

"So…are we doing this?" Connor asked quietly.

"We are." Pain enveloped Roy's chest as his eyes strayed down to the white bundle by their feet. Despite being wrapped in a white sheet, the same one from the warehouse, it was painfully obvious to anyone what was wrapped inside. Which is why Roy had made sure they'd stuck to back roads on the drive here and picked their starting point in one of the sketchiest neighborhoods. "Let's get this over with."

"Do you want the shovels or…" Mia asked Connor.

Connor glanced at the shovels, then at the body by their feet. "I'll help Roy," he said quietly. Mia shrugged, then grabbed the three shovels they'd brought.

Roy took a slow, deep breath, then walked over to grab one of the strings tied around the sheet. He used the sturdiest kitchen twine he could find to tie the sheet in place. Before he could back out, he grabbed one of the strings near the chest as Connor grabbed one near the legs. Between the two of them, they lifted the weight easily. Roy looked at his GPS again. "We need to go…north. Come on."

Walking through the woods was slow going. Partly because of the dead body Roy and Connor were carrying, but also because of the route they walked. The GPS didn't take them down any established trails. Which, while good for the stealth of their activity, didn't make for easy walking. They did their best to avoid tree roots and bushes that got in their way. Roy had to divide his attention between the GPS and the forest floor. Overall, it made for slow going through the woods.

"Do you want to switch?" Mia asked Connor, as she had several minutes before.

"No," Connor replied. 'I'm going to help Roy carry my father. I'm going to.'

By the time they found the arrow, Roy and Connor had soreness radiating from their fingers to their shoulders. Thankfully, the arrow had landed in a place clear of trees. It was a narrow patch of grass, only three feet wide by eight feet long, but big enough for their purposes. Carefully, Roy and Connor set the body down on the edge of the clearing while Mia pulled the arrow from the ground. She tossed it aside, then held out the shovels.

"Do we just start digging?" she asked.

"Guess so," Roy replied. He took a shovel and, after a moment of hesitation, started digging a hole. Mia and Connor soon joined him. Compared to hiking through the woods while carrying a dead body, digging a grave was a breeze. Especially since Roy put all his focus and energy into digging the hole itself, rather than what it was for. Shovelful after shovelful of dirt was piled a foot away from the hole. The three archers were silent as they dug. Occasionally, one of the younger two would stop to rest their sore arms or catch their breath, but Roy kept going. He didn't allow his body, or mind, time to contemplate what was happening. Finally, when the hole was as deep as Roy's shoulders, he stopped. "I think this is deep enough."

"If it's good enough for you, it's good enough for us," Connor said. He climbed out of the hole, then reached down to help Mia out. They both then pulled Roy out. They brushed themselves off while Roy just stared at the body. Connor cleared his throat quietly. "Are you ready, Roy?"

"…Yeah," Roy whispered, his voice fragile. "I- I am." He tried to keep his face stoic as the three of them lifted Oliver's body, then carried it to the grave. They gently set it in the bottom of the hole. Roy stepped back and grabbed his shovel. He didn't move to bury the body though. Instead, he just stood there, shovel in hand, staring down Oliver's corpse.

"So…" Mia ventured after a minute of silence. "Should we..say something?" She looked at Roy, but his eyes were locked on the body. "Connor?"

"Uh…" Connor stalled. "Oliver was…a person. He was…misguided and…not always on the right side. It's doubtful he created enough dharma through easing the suffering of others to avoid being reborn. However, we can hope that when he's reborn into his new life, he'll choose to be a better person. One who cares about people and will understand the ends don't always justify the means." He looked at Mia.

"Burn in hell, old man. Roy?"

Roy didn't say anything for several long seconds. When he finally spoke, his voice was quiet and so fragile it sounded like a strong wind could break it. "Hágoónee', Ollie…" Without another word, he buried Oliver Queen.

Filling the hole in with dirt took half the amount of time it took to dig the thing. When they finished, Roy took the time to smooth out the dirt with the back of his shovel. The three of them stepped back and stared at the patch of dirt in the small clearing.

"Should we…put some moss on top or something?" Mia asked. "I mean…if someone comes across this, a random patch of dirt the size of a person basically screams 'shallow grave'."

"It didn't feel shallow," Connor muttered shaking his sore arms out a little.

"Yeah," Roy replied quietly. "Get some…branches or something to cover it with." He didn't move while the teens gathered tree branches and long grass to put over the fresh grave. Within a few minutes, they had covered the dirt so it looked more natural. When they finished, Connor and Mia looked at him. Roy took a deep breath. "Let's go home."

— —

The walk back to the car didn't take as long as the walk to the clearing had been. It was, however, just as silent. No one spoke until they were in the car, driving back to the house.

"Are you still going out?" Connor asked.

"Yes," Roy replied. "Someone needs to inform Detective Rodgerson that the…serial killer will no longer be a problem."

"Is…you-know-who still coming tonight?" Connor asked hesitantly.

Mia rolled her eyes. "He's Batman, not Voldemort," she told him.

"Yes," Roy replied. "Batman's still coming, tonight." He didn't miss the way Connor looked at the floor. "It'll be fine, Con. He just wants to meet you guys. It'll take ten minutes." Besides, after that, he and Bruce needed to have a potentially long talk. "I'll be home in a bit, you guys relieve your…friend, from babysitting."

"He's more Connor's friend," Mia said as they slid out of the backseat. She snickered as Connor pinched her arm.

Roy shook his head as he followed the teens inside. He waited until they were upstairs before he let himself into the Cave. Walking into his headquarters drained the tension from his muscles. Roy closed his eyes as he inhaled deeply. He held the breath for a few seconds, then slowly let it out as he opened his eyes. Back in his element, Roy set his bow aside, then dressed in his suit. The complicated ball of emotions about Oliver's death still weighed heavily on his chest, but it now felt easier to ignore. There was no need to dissect and examine those feelings as Red Arrow. It was liberating. So, Red Arrow put his mask on, tightened his quiver, then got on his bike. 'I have some…news to deliver,' he thought as he drove out of the cave.

Meanwhile, Connor and Mia walked into the apartment to find Jake playing peek-a-boo with Lian. Mia glanced at Connor and spotted his endearing smile. So, playing the good wingman, she stepped back and gave Connor a semi-gentle shove toward the living room.

"She's great at this game," Jake said. He looked up as Connor crouched next to him. "A real pro."

"Yeah, she's the best," Connor replied. "Did she try to throw any blocks at you?"

"She did, but I dodged all of them."

"Sorry. We're trying to teach her not to do that, but-"

"It's cool. Toddlers are learning. They don't mean to do the things they do."

"True. Thanks for watching her by the way."

"No problem. How did your guys' errand go?"

"It was… We got it done."

"I'm glad." Jake ran his hand along the carpet touch his and Connor's fingertips together. "Are you busy tonight? Because I hard the vegan place a few blocks away makes a killer veggie pizza."

"I- I am busy. Sorry." Connor kept going quickly when Jake's face fell. "But I'm not busy tomorrow. If you know…you're not busy."

"I'm not."

"Great. So…pizza tomorrow?"

"I look forward to it." Jake pulled away, then shook Lian's small hand. "It was nice to meet you, Ms. Lian. I hope we see each other again soon." He stood and walked toward the door. "Bye, Connor."

"Bye…"

"Bye, Mia."

"Bye, Jake," Mia said with a wave of her fingers. As soon as he left, she gave Connor a huge grin. "Did you really just ask him out on a date?"

"Uh… Maybe?" Connor replied with a shrug. "I wasn't really asking him out as much as…saying yes to him for a different day."

"Well, it sounded like you were asking him out."

Connor just ducked his head and gave Lian a block.

— —

Red Arrow barely blinked at climbing up the side of the police station in the late afternoon. Thankfully, the window to Detective Rodgerson's office was open, so he just let himself in.

"Archer," Rodgerson greeted, not even looking up from his paperwork. "You're not going to make a habit of climbing through my window in the daylight, are you?"

"I'm not planning on it." Red Arrow slowly walked closer. "I just thought you'd want to know that the…serial killer won't be a problem anymore."

Rodgerson's head snapped up. "You caught him?! Why didn't you bring him to us or-"

"He's dead."

There was a long stretch of tense silence. "…Dead?"

"Yeah. He…died."

"And did you…kill him?"

"No! No, it was an accident."

Detective Rodgerson studied the vigilante for five seconds before he nodded. "Ok. It was an accident. Can't say I'm sorry. Well, actually, I am sorry we don't get the chance to serve justice for the victims. But…knowing the city is safe is good enough for me."

"Yeah, me too. I'm really glad to finally put the case to rest."

"I'll finally sleep better at night."

"You sleep?"

Rodgerson rolled his eyes. "I don't want to give you a sense of false confidence, because a majority of this place still thinks you're a dangerous menace, but…I look forward to working with you on a future case." He held out his hand, which Red Arrow shook after a few seconds.

"I look forward to working with you too, Detective," Red Arrow replied. "Remember to sleep. It's good for you."

"Mhm."

A warm feeling spread through Red Arrow's chest, dislodging the dark ball a little, as he climbed back down the side of the police station. 'Maybe its only one detective,' he thought as he sprinted back to his bike, 'but at least I finally won the trust of one person. It's a start.'

— —

The rest of the day was weirdly uneventful. After the week he'd had, Roy didn't know how to feel about having a whole afternoon free to do maintenance on trick arrows with his favorite songs blasting in the Cave. He even had time to go over his blueprints for one trick arrows (because he could never have too many, no matter what Mia said) and begin plans to build prototypes. It sucked him in so thoroughly that when Connor came downstairs to get him for dinner, Roy hadn't even realized how much time had passed. His rejuvenated feeling was continued when he saw that Mia and Connor had tried cooking dinner together, experimenting with some kind of vegetarian casserole. They tried.

"It was a good effort," he reassured them as they munched around burnt green beans and mushy squash. "You guys tried something new and I'm proud of you for it."

"What we did to these innocent vegetables should be considered a crime," Mia muttered.

"You guys did your best. That's what matters." Roy glanced at the clock. "Finish up. I'm going to give Lian a bath, then put her to bed. I want you two in the Cave in 30 minutes. Understand?"

"We're on top of it."

"Connor?"

"Mhm," Connor hummed.

"Ok. Let's go baby girl." Roy took Lian, who was covered in squash, out of her high chair.

"Guess in half an hour we get to meet the infamous Batman," Mia commented once Roy had left.

"Mhm…" Connor muttered, pushing the vegetables around on his plate.

"And I know we agreed Roy's whole adopted family and friends are all jerks and he's better off without them, but still…meeting Batman is legendary. It's still pretty cool."

"Mhm…"

"But we still need to stand firm in our belief that Roy doesn't need any of those people. Right?"

"Mhm…"

Mia narrowed her eyes at him, then flicked a green bean at his head. "Are you listening?"

"Kind of…"

"You've been on cloud 9 after Jake asked you out and now you look like someone kicked your puppy. So what's up?"

"…I'm just nervous about meeting Batman. He hated Oliver. Probably more than anyone and…what if he hates me?"

"If he can't differentiate between you and your evil father the way Roy does, then he's not a great hero. Don't worry about it. It'll turn out fine."

"I hope so."

They finished eating, then went downstairs to the Cave. Connor paced while Mia tried to hack into Roy's access to the computer. When Roy came downstairs, he couldn't help but smile.

"Relax Connor. Mia, get out of the computer."

"When is Batman getting here?" Mia asked as she hopped out of the chair.

Roy looked around and a smile slowly spread across his lips. "Having fun, skulking, B?"

Both teens jumped as Batman stepped out of the shadows in the back of the Cave; right near the entrance. "Just observing," he replied.

"Mhm. Well, you don't have to hide."

"Hmm…" Batman walked closer to the two teens, who moved closer to each other, as he approached. For a few seconds, he didn't say anything as he looked at each of them. Connor forced himself to stay still and not shrink in fear, while Mia crossed her arms and stared fearlessly into the lenses of Batman's cowl. "You must be Mia," he eventually said, maintaining eye contact with her for a few seconds before looking at the other teen. "And you must be Oliver's son."

"Batman…" Roy said in warning. "He has a name."

"Connor."

"H-Hi," Connor stammered quietly. "Nice to meet you, Batman…"

"I heard about how you helped Roy on the mission from Kaldur'ahm. He said you both fought well."

"We have a good teacher."

"The best," Mia agreed.

"You do. Have you thought about joining the Team?"

"They've asked about it multiple times," Roy said with a smile. "I'm sure joining would be-"

"No," Connor interrupted. Both Batman and Roy looked at him; the latter with utter confusion. "We don't want to join the Team. We used to, but we've decided we don't want to anymore."

"Why would that be?" Batman asked him.

"Because of how they screwed over Roy!" Mia practically snapped. "We were there that night. We saw how Nightwing and Kaldur lied to him and used him. They tanked his mental health for months just for the sake of their mission. We don't want to be heroes like that."

"And we don't want to work with people who hurt, Roy," Connor added. "He's our mentor and guardian. The three of us are a team, we'll always have his back."

Roy didn't know what to say. He just stared at the two teens, who suddenly seemed a lot older than they were, not sure what to think or feel about these revelations. "Guys-" he began but was interrupted.

"I'm glad Roy has such a loyal team watching his back," Batman told them. "He deserves it."

"Mhm," Mia hummed. She looked at Roy. "Can we go upstairs now?"

"Yeah, just don't wake Lian."

"We know. Bye, Batman. "

"Uh…Bye," Connor muttered as he followed Mia out of the Cave.

Batman watched them go and didn't say anything until they were gone. "Lian?"

"My daughter- well, my biological daughter."

"Biological?" An unidentifiable emotion passed over his face; the portion of it Roy could see at least. "How old is she?"

"Seven months."

"I see."

They lapsed into silence. Roy crossed his arms and tried not to shift on his feet. "Just take your mask off, Bruce. The kids are upstairs and this place is secure. I don't like talking to you with the cowl on." For a second he wasn't sure the man would listen, then the cowl came off. "Did you know Oliver was back?"

"Oliver- What?!" Bruce looked shocked.

"So that's a no."

"Oliver is back?!"

"He was. The Reach attacked the Green Lantern prison where he was imprisoned and…brought him back to Earth. He killed almost a dozen people in Star before I stopped him."

"You stopped him?"

Roy nodded. "After the mission…we fought him, Connor, Mia, and myself, and… Oliver was accidentally killed." He studied Bruce's face for any kind of a reaction, but couldn't find one. "He fell from the top of a warehouse when we fought."

"Are you sure he's dead?"

"I am."

"What about the body-"

"Already taken care of."

Bruce couldn't hide his shock. "It is?"

"Yes. I took care of it, with Connor and Mia's help."

"Oh. Good."

Roy loosely crossed his arms. "So you really didn't know?"

"No. But…" Bruce hesitated, then remembered what had happened on the Watchtower a few days before. "Hal Jordan told me about the attack on the prison back in November. He told me that Oliver was missing and…presumed dead."

"Presumed dead?"

"Yes."

Roy closed his eyes. His hands clenched his elbows and he took a slow, deep breath. "You knew Oliver wasn't in the prison and didn't tell me?"

"I thought he was dead, Roy. Hal said there wasn't almost no way he could've survived exposure outside the prison. I didn't want to…mess with how well you were doing."

It was quiet for several seconds until Roy lifted his head and opened his eyes. "The Reach being involved…no one could've guessed that. You should've told me Oliver was missing. I deserved to know. You don't get to decide if I should know that kind of information."

"You're right. I shouldn't have kept it from you."

Roy let his arms drop and shoved his hands into his pockets. "At least you're not as bad as someone people…"

Bruce tried not to wince at the bitterness in the younger man's voice. "You should talk to Dick-"

"I'm good."

"Roy-"

"No, Bruce. I don't want to talk to him. Not after what he did to me."

"His best friend is dead, Roy. He- He needs you."

Roy shook his head. "No, he doesn't. Dick has you and Tim and Alfred and Barbara and Artemis and Kaldur… He has people Bruce." His face hardened. "It's not like when Kaldur left me. Dick has people to catch him when he falls. He'll be fine."

Bruce let the issue drop. "Are you…ok? With Oliver's death, I mean."

"I- I don't know how I feel, Bruce. Sad, relieved, angry? A lot of stuff I guess." Just like it always was with Oliver. "The only thing I'm certain of is knowing that he can never come after me or my kids again. The rest if just… I just don't know." Roy rubbed his face with his hands. It had been a long few days.

"Well…it seems like you have everything under control here."

Roy grinned teasingly. "Did you have doubts?"

"No! Of course not. I've always believed in you, Roy." Bruce put his hand on Roy's shoulder. "This life you've built here, helping your kids and running your own business… You did good, Roy."

"Thanks, Bruce." Despite everything that had happened between them in the last two years, Roy hugged Bruce. It took the older man by surprise, but after a second he turned the gesture. "It's really over…"

"It is. Oliver's gone, Roy. It's over for good. You're safe."

'Safe,' Roy thought. 'I'm safe. My kids are safe. We're all safe. Forever.'

— —

After Bruce had left, Roy wandered upstairs to make sure the kids were getting ready for bed. Just as he crossed the kitchen though, there was a knock on the door. "Who could that be?" he wondered.

"I'll get it," Mia offered.

"Thanks."

Mia went to the door and opened it. She tried to keep the surprise from registering on her face when she saw it was Nightwing. Sort of. He was in normal clothes, but he looked like the pictures of Roy's brother (and like Nightwing).

"Uh…hi," he said quietly. "I just..uh…"

Mia shut the door in his face.

"Mia?" Roy asked, poking his head out of the kitchen. "Who was that?"

"No one," she replied.

'For some reason, I don't believe her.' Roy shook his head. "Go get ready for bed."

"I tried to warn you."

Roy shook his head as he approached the door. As soon as he opened it though, his stomach dropped. "Hey, Dick."

"Hey, bro," Dick replied. "Uh…the girl shut the door in my face."

"I got that." There were a few seconds of awkward silence. "What do you want, Dick?"

"To talk. I want you to understand why we-"

"There's nothing to understand. You and Kadlur betrayed my trust. You used me for your own gain. In what universe did you think I would be ok with this?!"

"But we didn't just do it for no reason! We did it to protect you!"

Roy sighed low. "You know…I'm really, really, sick of people using that as an excuse. Oliver, Bruce, now you and Kaldur! I don't need anyone's protection, Dick! I'm an adult! A fully-trained vigilante!"

"The people who love you will always want to protect you, Roy."

"Well next time, do me a favor and don't. I don't need or want it."

"Roy-"

"Go home, Dick. Don't come back here and stop calling me. I'm not interested in your excuses."

"Roy, stop." Dick put his hand on the door to prevent Roy from shutting it. "You can't just… We've always had each other's backs. We're brothers."

Tears burned in Roy's eyes as his heart clenched. "I know, Dick. That's the worst part of this. Good-night." Then, despite the objections, Roy shut the door to his apartment. He quickly put all three locks in place, then stopped with his hand resting on the wood. Despite his tears, the anger of betrayal still burned in his veins. So, Roy walked away. 'I'm done with people using me and lying to me, all in the name of keeping me safe,' he thought. 'I don't need protection. I don't need kid gloves. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself and my kids.' As much as it hurt to turn his back on Dick, deep down Roy knew something had been broken in their relationship. Something not easily repaired. But he pushed it to the back of his mind. There were three kids who and a city that needed his attention.

Even though he'd lost his brother and best friend, Roy couldn't help but feel he had everything he needed.


End file.
